One year after the change in leadership, is the NAACP any more relevant to our daily lives than it was one year ago?
Name: mark Email: Response:
Why all the bull? we as a nation can make changes happen all around us. Instead of threats against the world order and society as a whole why not stand up stop bitching and change your own lives as americans. when i see people spell america with three k's it angers me. You will always have fringe racists in any given group but that doesn't mean all whites are so. I know from a great deal of experience how the majority of african americans in my area choose to live and believe me it is not society that forces these individuals to live as they do it is purely the lack of interest in changing their own invironmnt that keeps them where they are. when I hear of black people rising up as a group to teach the white race a lesson I feel the same about those people as i feel about skinheads or anyone else who fuels anger and hate for the short time they are allowed to live on our planet. Stand back and look where the progress can be made if you think about it any race that feels held back by white america can not bring it's people together to overthrow the world order in any one lifespan so why even entertain the thought? these people will be dying of old age and still saying the same old things about the way they as a people are being treated. be responsible for changing your life if it is not what you want. If your neighborhood is violent then make it a personal goal to move away. Remember threats and violence are so easy to get caught up in but the reality is we need to stop being angry and get on with the business of living as one race THE HUMAN RACE....
Name: George Lambert Email: rasta@voicenet.com Response:
I do not belive that the NAACP is anymore
relevant in our daily lives than it was last year.
Although I must say that the brother (Mr. Mufamba
) Is doing an excelent job . It will take some time
before we see anything relevant that the NAACP
accomplishes . Mr. Mufamba will be spending a
lot of time cleaning up the organization that has
been marred with so much courpution over the
last 10 years. So in the next 5 years we may be
able to win back afrimative action .
Name: Michael Taylor Email: miketalr@lightspeed.net Response:
What made me kind of turn away from the naacp
was a program I saw on tv a klansman needed a
lawyer and someone sugested the he turn to the
naacp I said to myself noway but a good young lawyer
took his case his employers turn there back on this
case it was the naacp. That was not rightin mybook
lawyers have a job to do even if they like it or not
Name: Gene Email: Response:
I think the NAACP's relevancy to our daily lives is about the same as before the change in leadership. It is relevant, but in ways that we might take for granted. The NAACP expends a lot of resources filing legal briefs, lawsuits, etc when they perceive a policy or proposed law to be unjust. These actions benefit all African Americans. The question that we need to ask is: Who benefits from the perception that the NAACP is not relevant to our daily lives? If enough African Americans can be manipulated into thinking the NAACP is irrelevant, it will eventually disappear. That will end all of those pesky legal filings that seem to make their way to the Supreme Court.
Name: Rev. L. Dowell Email: ldowell@erols.com Response:
Beginning in 1989, I spoke out publicly against the lack of accountability and credibility and responsibility among the NAACP leadership on the local and national level. In 1990, I wrote to Dr. Ben Hooks and stressed the need for those characteristics as well as a return to the foundational roots of the church or the NAACP would fail. During the short tenure of Dr. Chavis, the whole world watched the painful struggle of the NAACP, which did subsequently lead to a sort of accountability mechanism. In addition, the church and the NAACP leadership chose to ignore my warnings. Instead, in 1992, I was permanently cast out of both my home church and the local NAACP branch, because of my being outspoken as a preacher. Four years later, I am still seeking justice in the situation because the church leadership misused its power and money to falsify court documents with impunity. Relevance of NAACP? Just the other evening, I received a phone call from the local NAACP seeking life members to purchase $45 tickets for a program to be held to honor them. Meanwhile, all of the top NAACP officials and church leaders I have contacted about the 1992 injustice have failed to contact me to this date (including Mrs. Evers-Williams and Mr. Mfume). All I see is a lot of posturing for the sake of the positions without any real steps towards meeting the needs of all of the people. I thank God that truth will always be true. Pray with me that the truth of this horrible injustice will fully be exposed and that I will be vindicated. Perhaps, then, I just might be able to continue to work with the NAACP towards becoming relevant on into the year 2000 A.D.
Name: ross Email: ross19@fuse.net Response:
From what I have read and seen, I believe the NAACP is rejuvenated
and on the road to making lasting impact for the
upliftment of black people within the social, political and economic
order of America.
Name: ron hare Email: ron37@netcom Response:
I do not think that the NAACP is any more relevant than last year. They continue to prepetuate an agenda that excludes the masses of our people.. also the number of scandals that have surfaced has raised a credability issue with me, i also do not like the notion that they are so determined to denouce farakaahn as a group but privatly many members endorse him. this is hyporcritical on the part of the members. i would like to see a re-unification with the NAACP and all of black america, not just the groups that are politically correct. all of these components are needed to improve our condition. the NAACP could be alot more powerful if they would reach out to all of black america especially young black america.
Name: Christina Abram-Davis Email: Blkcat411@aol.com Response:
Without a joint effort of cooperation from all of our organizations nationwide, none of them will have any true relevance to our daily lives.
I see no point in making the NAACP the focus of such a question, the blight of African Americans as a whole will remain unchanged until we all
join together to make a concentrated effort to address and eradicate our problems of poor education, high unemployment and urban decay. We should
have combined the theories of W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T. Washington by concentrating on education and economics. We have been here far longer than
many of the immigrants to this country, and yet they succeed in making economic centers out their communities while we do not. Stop picking the NAACP out
to bear the burden that should be borne by all African Americans, we are in this together and we will sink or swim together that is the only thing that is
relevant!
Name: Arrigo Rogers Email: octavius@rci.rutgers.edu Response:
I believe that the NAACP has important context in the black community. But, I also believe that the NAACP needs to recognize the importance of reaching out more to the younger community. This community can bring vibrance, new ideas, energy etc. into the organization.
Name: terri Jackson Email: jackson.t@uis.edu Response:
I am not so much caught up with the name of the organization, as I am with the history. It has taken years for the NAACP to become the outdated organization it is, but I believe it can make a difference in the 90's. One thing is the voter education/registration drive. We have to begin to be a legitimate part of the voting block. If we do not agree with what is going on, then we need to get inside and make a change. The change starts with the organization dropping this mandate not to own it's own building. We preach economic independence, yet the NAACP cannot own property. Now where did that come from? Check out "Betrayal By Any Other Name". Provides some interesting discussion.
Name: Tony P. Email: apeterson@flinet.com Response:
Mr. Barry Portier hit it on the nose...more
emphasis need to be placed on the support and
development of our youth, moreso than censoring
the media. Bottom line, day-to-day interaction
with a wide variety of sociological elements
is a fact. If more time and ACTIONS are devoted
to the development of our children, they will
for the most part prevail the confines of negatively
influenced media coverage! And we're ALL responsible
for this development....
each one reach one...each one teach one!
Tony P.
Name: Brother Messiah Akindele of MAD Writer Productions Email: akinyemi@emuvax.emich.edu Response:
The NAACP is corrupt. It's also outdated and they have no interest in Nubian people. Most Nubian men who belong to the NAACP belong to the Boule. Right there they have no interest in building a better community for Nubian Americans. Plus, why should anyone belong to an oragnization that clings on to the Canaanites (Pale people), Jebusites (So-called Jews) and consider themsleves "colored people". This is 1996 A.D. I don't believe in paying $100-200 for a dinner to be around Nubian people who think they are better than you and inviting the President of the United States of America (who is not just a Mason but belong to the Skull & Bones Society) to hear him speak about how diverse we, as Americans, are. What most Nubian should be joining are organizations that are making a difference in our society today like the Holy Taberncale Ministries who have been teaching Right Knowledge for over 25 years now. The NAACP is not in the best interest of the Nubian people....so let us move on!!!!!!!!!
Name: Janet Butts Email: jbutts@ehso.emory.edu Response:
If the NAACP has become more relevant, it has not effectively communicated it to the community. I think it would be a good idea for them to have their mission statement published in some of the major African-American media (e.g., Essence, Jet, Ebony, etc.). If I felt like they were doing something that would impact on our community I would join, but right now I am not a member.
Name: Jim Every Email: jana2@ixnetcom.com Response:
The relevance of the NAACP has been questionable for sometime regardless of the leadership. It very weel may be the primary task of the new leadership to seek ways to address the relevance issue so as to bring more of the educated black middle class into the organization to aid in the search for relevant ways to addresss the problems of our people.
Name: Attucks Email: Attucks@aol.com Response:
Until today I thought the NAACP had turned the
corner. However, if as I read in the NY TImes,
18 July, that the president of a chapter was
removed by the national body because he said
that he feels that the quality of education is
more important than intergration, we may be
missing the value of difference of ideas.
Name: gail corum Email: pancakes.@postoffice.worldnet.att.net Response:
first of all, the organization's name naa colored
people, is not relevant to today. how many black
americans still refer to themselves as colored?
not many! I believe if a perception is pervasive
it becomes a reality in the minds of people. and
an organization of today that still refers to
itself as "colored" does not appear to have
advanced it's core philosophy to make itself
more relevant to today's different needs in the
black community. personally, I know of no-one
who has benefitted from the naacp. it has also
been racked with mis-management and controversy.
With the recently appointed new leadership, I
can only hope that my perception of this
organization as ineffective is changed for the
better.
Name: rlands Email: lands@electric.austin.tx.us Response:
The who?!? For real though, the NAACP had stop being relevant long before the changing of the guards. Honestly, I believe NAACP is trying to do 50's and 60's thing in the 90's and "it ain't workin' ya!" Now that we can go into the exectuive bathroom, and sleep in the ritzy hotels and get the finest education money can buy (as if going to MIT, Harvard or Yale is better then going to, Southern, Prarie View or Huteson Tillotson). We have to pay the bills. You know rent, mortgage, car note, student loans, rent a center, telephone, utility, credit cards, etc. and NAACP is not paying any bills. Now that our sons and daughters are in the best schools, who is going to protect them, keep them in school. What the NAACP has done, and is doing is great, but there are new concerns and if the NAACP wants to become what they once were, let somebody else, worry about the week long conferences and image awards, and that other foolishness, we as a people have bought into, and deal with some real at home issues.
Name: ksdozier Email: ksdozier@ix.netcom.com Response:
i think all of our people need to find a way to begin to become more self reliant. then we would be in a position to determind what if any group is in support of the comunity needs.
Name: Randy Bettis Email: Iceman@neca.com Response:
I would say it is way to early for a judgment call on what is being done at this point.The NAACP
Had far to many problems before Mr. Mafumme
took over.Thiiiis question I would say is unfair.
Name: Marcus Haynes Email: Response:
I don't think there has been any change at all.
I think the NAACP has really lost touch with
mainstream Black Society.Maybe if they were more
visible or used more of a hands-on approach to
dealing with some of the more serious problems
affecting the Black Community things would be
different.
Name: Email: wizdom@cedar-rapids.net Response:
The NAACP Lobbies for African Americans in many different arenas. The current leadership has taken the necessary action to make a business organization such as the NAACP economically viable. Many of the business decisions have been unpopular and many members are still looking for immediate results. Good management sometimes means making unpopular decisions. The NAACP is part of the fabric of this great country and we should do whatever we can to insure that this fabric never again becomes tattered and worn.
Name: Gerald Brown Email: gerald@eee.org Response:
Kweisi Mfume had not been installed for quite a year
yet, so he deserves more time before he is evaluated.
His challenge is to help attract young members
who are willing to work, while getting older members
to share power. That is a daunting challenge for
sure. The NAACP needs to be at the front of the
fight to save Affirmative Action, since it was
the organization that led the fight to establish
it. Mfume is up to the job, and we should give him
our unqualified support.
Name: ayesha Email: abmorris@wam.umd.edu Response:
I'm a college junior who for the past couple of years, has gotten the impression that NAACP was an elite group serving mostly the black middle class and ignoring the masses. The most I hear about the organization these days is skimpily clad fashion shows, but when it comes to making political stands...where are they?
Name: Ayesha Email: Response:
Taking off on a tangent...since it's the Olympics and all, anyone want to discuss the "recognition" or lack there of, or black athletes? Look at Dominique Dawes. Sistah-friend carried that team. And all the camera focused on was that handicapped sob story white chick. I mean how many times were they going to fall? They did not give Dominique the accolation that she deserved for saving their behinds because with out her they would surely be lost. (couldn't help going there..totally off the subject at hand)
Name: Ralph A. Randall Email: Response:
The NAACP is not relavant to my daily inner city Black life.
All the hoopla over Ben Chavis inspired me to look into the history of the organization and I found that the organizations founding history has a strong Jewish influence. Many of the early leaders of the organization were Jewish. The NAACP highest award is named for a fellow named Joel Spingarn who I understand is Jewish. The organization was key in the struggle for civil rights and many ethnic, political and social organizations benefited from NAACP victories and I am also a benefitiary. When Ben Chavis wanted to unite Black leadership and held a summit in Baltimore (and this counts as hoopla) the NAACP was part of my daily life and I began considering financial support. Because unity among black leaders will benefit me. In late June 1996 Baltimore City held an after the Million Man March Day of Committment Rally. I proudly attended and had the opportunity to hear Ben Chavis speak. He spoke of his past having served 5 years in prison in trumped up charges as a member of the Wilminton 10. He spoke of his opportunities to dine with the U.S. president and first lady. He spoke of a meeting he had with
