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NAACP Mourns the Loss of Actress and Activist Jane White

Miss Shine — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 19:01:33 +0000

The NAACP mourns the loss of actress and activist Jane White, the daughter of the late civil rights leader and NAACP Secretary Walter White. Jane White passed away July 24th, 2011 at the age of 88.

“Jane White was an esteemed member of our NAACP family who was an active supporter and participant in many of our programs and major events for decades,” remarked NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock.

Born and raised in New York, White attended Smith College, where she was elected the first African-American President of Smith’s House of Representatives. After college, she went on to become a renowned actress on stage, television and radio for more than 60 years. In 1945, she landed a leading role on Broadway in a production of “Strange Fruit”, a play about interracial love in the South. White later garnered both an OBIE Award and an LA Critics Circle Award for her performances on stage.

Despite her success, White continued to share her time and talents with the NAACP. Over the last four decades, she was a featured guest at several NAACP events, including the 95th Annual NAACP Convention and the unveiling of her father’s statute at the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum.

“Jane White was not only an icon for aspiring African-American performers, but also a dedicated advocate for civil and human rights issues,” noted NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “Her contributions to society will be missed.”

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

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‘Best Kept Secret’: NAACP’s ACT-SO Program: Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders

Ed Powell — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:00:16 +0000

What is considered by some to be a cultural “best kept secret” is abuzz: the annual NAACP Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological, and Scientific Olympics, in short, the acronym ACT-SO program.

The ACT-SO National Competition for 2011 commenced on July 21st in California, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. There were about 800 participants from cities all across the country from Norwich, Connecticut to San Diego, California who competed all day long.

The awards ceremony that took place on July 24th was likened to the “Academy Awards” for black youth honorees, as the winners were presented medals, monetary rewards, and other gifts for their achievements.

California’s Governor Jerry Brown addressed the students and the audience at large, as did many other luminaries including NAACP’s Roslyn Brock, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, and Benjamin Jealous, President and CEO (NAACP is the acronym for National Association for the Advancement of Colored People).

Now in its 33rd year, ACT-SO was conceived and founded by pioneer journalist Vernon Jarrett who once said: “It is urgent that we resort to a strategy based upon our history of winning against the odds,which can keep alive the inspiration and the learning required to solve complex projects, issues and situations. Our history says: We must never write off the potential for greatness among and of our beleaguered youth. Never!”

Greeted by ACT-SO National Director, Anana Kambon, who also executive produced the classy ceremony, the air was filled with excitement and anticipation. Some of the presenters on hand included Hollywood stars like Lamman Rucker (“Meet The Browns”, “Why Did I Get Married Too”). Receiving thunderous applause as he stepped to the podium, Rucker lauded film executive Tyler Perry’s amazing journey as a model for the students and emphasized focus, dedication, and commitment to their crafts.

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article courtesy of Eurweb.com

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Julian Bond, Don Lemon, Wanda Sykes Speak At NAACP, LGBT Forum

Al Sharpton — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:49:25 +0000

LOS ANGELES — The NAACP hosted a LGBT forum at its 102nd national convention to discuss lesbian and gay issues within the Black community.

Civil Rights activist and former NAACP chairman Julian Bond, CNN anchor Don Lemon, and comedienne Wanda Sykes were three of the panelists who spoke before members.

In the town hall styled forum, Bond said that gay rights are civil rights, and that “sexual disposition parallels race.”

“We know sexual orientation is not a choice. We know homosexuality is not a mental illness. We know you can’t pray the gay away,” he said.

Lemon and Sykes, who are both openly gay and lesbian, spoke about the difficulty in embracing their sexuality in face of societal opposition.

“You just suppress everything and become this other person,” Sykes said. “You start living that life that you think that you’re supposed to do.”

Lemon, who divulged his sexuality after the release of his autobiographical book Transparent, said that there is much work to be done in the Black community.

The forum is one of many tactics the NAACP has executed to diversify its political and social agenda. On the heels of criticisms that the organization has lost its luster over the years, it has made conscious efforts to include agendas beyond race issues, incorporating the agendas of all minority groups —something some feel is more representative of the NAACP first convened in 1909.

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NAACP’s Stanley Miller Steps Down For School Post

Ed Powell — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:27:10 +0000

Cleveland NAACP Director Stanley R. Miller will step down to head up the Marcus Garvey Academy.

He officially joins the Academy staff as Head of School on Monday (Aug. 1).

Marcus Garvey Academy is a public, charter school founded in 2002 by Alexandria Johnson Boone, a local businesswoman.

A longtime Clevelander, Miller graduated from Glenville High School and Kent State University. He is also an ordained minister, serving as pastor at Shaffer Memorial United Methodist Church.

Prior to joining the NAACP, he spent two years as the executive director of the Neighbor Centers Association, the coordinating agency for 19 neighborhood centers in Greater Cleveland.

In his corporate career, Miller spent 31 years at Ameritech, retiring in 1999 as Vice President of External Affairs.

As Head of School, Miller will be respnsible for all facets of managing and operating Marcus Garvey.

article courtesy of WKYC.com

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Yes! NAACP Passes Resolution, Calls For End To War On Drugs

Al Sharpton — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:36:51 +0000

CALIFORNIA — The NAACP passed an historic resolution calling to an end the war on drugs with a majority vote at the 102nd NAACP Annual Convention in Los Angeles, CA.

The resolution outlines key details of the war on drugs, which the organization notes are crucial failings; the U.S. spends $40 billion annually on the war, and low-level drug offenders — mostly of color — are often locked up.

“These flawed drug policies that have been mostly enforced in African-American communities must be stopped and replaced with evidenced-based practices that address the root causes of drug use and abuse in America,” said NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous.

Instead of sending offenders to prison, the resolution calls for the creation and expansion of rehabilitation and treatment programs, methadone clinics, and other treatment protocols that have been found effective.

Once the resolution is ratified by the board of directors in October, it will encourage more than 1200 active NAACP chapters to organize campaigns to advocate for the end to the war on drugs.

Preach! NAACP Head Compares Voter ID Laws To Jim Crow

Al Sharpton — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:43:50 +0000

LOS ANGELES — At the 102nd annual NAACP convention, NAACP President, Ben Jealous, compared new voter ID laws to “Jim Crow.” He also blamed them on the “most racist and conservative elements in the Tea Party.”

Reuters reports:

NAACP President Benjamin Jealous said a wave of newly enacted photo-ID requirements stemmed from what he saw as “the worst and most racist elements” in conservative Tea Party groups that have immersed themselves in state politics since the 2010 elections.

He compared photo ID laws to poll taxes and other past restrictions — since struck down by the courts — designed to keep blacks from voting in the segregated Deep South. And he said the latest measures were part of a racial backlash against the 2008 election of President Barack Obama.

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What To Make Of The NAACP, Urban League, Obama Meeting?

Praise 1300 — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:56:11 +0000

I received an email today from the White House stating that President Barack Obama is scheduled to meet with NAACP President Ben Jealous and Urban League President Marc Morial. President Obama’s schedule (which can be seen here) shows that the meeting will be roughly 25 minutes, giving these three important black men a little less than half an hour to discuss whatever lies on their collective agenda.

The White House didn’t state the purpose of the meeting, but I’ll make a point to reach out to Ben and Marc to see if they have anything to say. Without knowing the purpose of the conversation, one might be able to guess which issue will be on the table first.

Black unemployment in America is at approximately the same level it was for all Americans toward the end of the Great Depression. At that time, when one out of every six Americans was out of work, the government felt a sense of urgency and public pressure to do something to help alleviate the suffering. In contrast, the current federal government has not (to my knowledge) mentioned any plan to engage in targeted policy to manage vast racial inequality that continues to plague our society. If we’d had the same level of inactivity on racial inequality in the past, slavery never would have come to an end.

This lack of action has both a cause and a consequence. One cause of the complacency is that the Obama Administration seems to believe that it has nothing to prove to African Americans. Unlike Bill Clinton, a man who had to continuously reiterate his loyalty to African Americans via progressive action, President Obama wears his “Black Loyalty Card” on his skin. I am not sure if any other president in recent history could get away with saying that he would not address racial inequality and instead expect that a “rising tide will lift all boats.” In other words, the Obama Administration has been allowed to use a racialized version of trickle down economics, presuming that helping the entire economy would somehow help black people too.

The consequence of economic negligence of the black community has been staggering. Black wealth at the start of the recession was a measly 1/10 that of white Americans. Since that time, it has dropped to a shocking 1/50th, implying that nearly everything that black people have worked for over the last 30 years has disappeared into the wind. Secondly, white unemployment has dropped during the recession (9.4% to 9.1%), while black unemployment has climbed dramatically (14.7% to 16.2%). No matter what one thinks about Congress, The Obama Administration or anyone else, you can’t possibly argue that black people are better off now than they were three years ago – one must sadly say that a Republican president would have a tough time creating a worse economic situation.

President Obama can’t be blamed entirely for the political storm around him. He must, however, be held accountable for how his administration has responded to the storm, for one must be careful about giving in to ignorance. Fighting racial inequality requires courage and self-sacrifice, two attributes that are rarely present in the psyches of successful politicians. At this point, the black folks most likely to overlook the inactivity of the Obama Administration are likely the people who still have their jobs. Of the remainder, there are those who’ve lost hope in the political process and have no interest in turning to the Republican party. So, any resentment toward the Obama Administration is primarily a reflection of frustration with our broken political system itself – both lovers and haters of Obama are unified in their disappointment with the grim reality of elitist American politics.

I respect both Ben Jealous and Marc Morial immensely. I sat on panels with them at the last two “Measuring the Movement” forums, hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton. While Ben and I have bumped heads over the NAACP’s decision to take money from accused predatory lender Wells Fargo, I strongly suspect that his heart is in the right place. Morial, being a seasoned political figure, has done a wonderful job of making calculated and intelligent decisions as he learns what it means for our nation to have its first black president. Rather than positioning himself as an unconditional Obama cheerleader (or relentless critic), he has focused his energy on courageous advocacy for working class Americans. Rev. Jesse Jackson has also done a good job of keeping a level head (although some still criticize him for the Fox News mixup back in 2008) – personally, I believe Rev. Jackson should be invited to the White House as well, along with Al Sharpton – no one should be frozen out or tempted to jockey for power; this divide-and-conquer tactic used by Washington politicians comes at a huge price for the African American community.

As Jealous and Morial stand with another black man in the nation’s most powerful office, I fully expect that all three of these men understand the gravity of the task which lies before them. While President Obama’s astute political gamesmanship against reckless, myopic Republicans is certainly admirable, African Americans are still waiting for his administration to help them understand why he gave them a reason to show up to the polls in 2008. He made extraordinary promises, so he received extraordinary support. It’s nonsense to think that we have no right to ask for his time.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

NAACP Calls U.S. Airways Racist for Kicking Off Man With Saggy Pants [VIDEO]

Miss Shine — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:11:27 +0000

The removal of a black college football player from a U.S. Airways flight and subsequent arrest in connection with his sagging pants was descried as racist today by his mother and local NAACP officials.

The fact that college football player Deshon Marman was asked to pull up his pants and ejected from a flight from San Francisco to New Mexico on June 15 is “unconscionable” given recent news reports that another white passenger has been allowed to travel regularly in women’s lingerie, said Amos Brown, president of the San Francisco chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

The airline clearly targeted Marman because of his race, Brown said at a news conference Friday in San Francisco.

“He’s been a victim of racial injustice and U.S. Airways owes him and his mother an apology,” he said.

Brown said the NAACP will be seeking an apology from U.S. Airways and action including sensitivity training for employees.

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Leaders Feud! Black Tea Party Group To Rally Against The NAACP

Al Sharpton — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:07:38 +0000

Members of the South Central Los Angeles Tea Party and hundreds of others will rally against the NAACP on July 24th.

BOND Action is a non-profit organization focused on community-based activism.

“Their a political pawn of the liberal-elite, white, racist Democratic Party and not really for the people,” Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, founder of BOND Action told TheGrio.

He hopes black Americans (he views the term “African-American” as a “dumb” title and unpatriotic) stop supporting the NAACP financially and with their manpower.

NAACP Teaches Young Professionals How To Be Leaders

Praise 1300 — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:33:02 +0000

At this year’s NAACP Leadership 500 Summit, young professionals from across the nation convened in Hollywood, FL to discuss the next steps in empowering a new frontline of civil rights and social justice advocates.

On Friday, the business session of our Summit began with a workshop on Digital Vision Boards led by Lindsey C. Holmes and Nicholas I. Wiggins, who trained participants on using 21^st century technology to assist with crafting personal and professional goals. Participants then entered into a lively discussion on social networking – its advantages and challenges- and ultimately how we, as young professionals can use social media to advance individual and collective agendas. In both sessions, the message was clear: Technology is important to movements, whether they are personal, professional, or collective, and we must equip ourselves with the tools to take full advantage of it.

Our conversation then moved to health with Donna Richardson who engaged participants in activities that reminded us of the necessity of being physically health conscious. Terrie Williams enhanced the conversation through a discussion of mental health and its importance.

In our afternoon roundtable discussions, participants learned, reflected and discussed issues of health, education, financial literacy, leadership, energy justice, and economic empowerment. The sessions were not simply standard workshops but truly lively discussions that asked participants to identify what the key issues are for our generation and how we begin to strategically address them.

There is a saying that, “History teaches everything including the future.” On Saturday, participants ate breakfast with Dr. Isabel Wilkerson – Pulitzer-prize winning author of The Warmth of Other Suns- and were able to reflect on our history and the journey of our families. We concluded our business session on Saturday with a town hall meeting where panelists – including Charles Ellison, Rev. Leah Daughtry, Lorraine Miller, and Hilary Shelton- discussed the next steps for young professionals politically as we approach the 2012 presidential elections.

Leadership 500 is unique because it brings together a young, diverse group of people, engages them in leadership development, and reminds us all of a commitment we must have to affirm America’s promise for all citizens.

The future is calling, and with your help, the NAACP will answer.