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Former NAACP president Ben Jealous will endorse Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential race, CNN reported Thursday. Jealous, who headed the NAACP from 2008 to 2013, is expected to announce his endorsement ahead of the New Hampshire primary Tuesday and ahead of the South Carolina primary, where African-American support will be key for Sanders, who currently trails Hillary Clinton by 30 points in the state.

Jealous' show of support will mark yet another big endorsement for Sanders from leaders in the black community. Two black politicians, former Ohio state legislator Nina Turner and current South Carolina state Rep. Justin Bamberg, have both switched their support from Clinton to Sanders. Just last week, Erica Garner, the eldest daughter of Eric Garner, who died in 2014 after being put in a chokehold by police, called Sanders black Americans' "strongest ally" in an endorsement.

Whether Sanders can win the black vote is seen as key to his chances of defeating Clinton.