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“In Our 100 Years”
Submitted by Paige Floyd & Arielle Palmer
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On February 12, 1909, a call to action established an ubiquitous organization that would serve as the platform for an ever-progressing civil rights struggle in the United States of America and across the world. This organization became known as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). A hundred years later, the Association remains the largest, oldest, and “baddest” civil rights organization with countless past accomplishments and future goals. Indubitably, the Centennial birthday of the NAACP is a milestone but moreover a stepping stone for further greatness in the Association’s history. The NAACP has lasted longer than any other true civil rights organization because of its inherent timeless vision to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights and an opportunity to live without racial hatred and discrimination. Although other massive grassroots organizations have mobilized dedicated individuals for a united cause, none have the extensive history of the NAACP. Thanks to the time-consuming work contributed by thousands of unknown NAACP workers, the Association has endured.
The NAACP is revered for its action against the virulent lynchings of a bygone era, renowned for the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision, exalted for the successful sit-ins of the sixties, and generally identified as the leader of several past civil rights movements. However, today it has a reinvented agenda due to a progressing change in society. Most of the NAACP’s civil rights exertions operate through local NAACP branches, councils, chapters, and state conferences. Primarily the Association’s civil rights work and progress is behind the scenes and not as visible as its noted civil rights marches during the sixties. However, the current activities and accomplishments are just as important as the widely lauded landmarks of yesteryear. NAACP State Conferences mediate with state government elected officials to advocate for fair housing, economic empowerment, equal educational opportunities, criminal justice, and other civil rights issues while smaller branches, councils, and chapters locally reinforce the same goals and ideals.
In truth, the NAACP is not a supernatural entity; it is made of individuals who have chosen to use the Association as a tool through which they can have an impact on their community. Membership is power and the lifeblood of the NAACP. Hence, it is time for those who have benefited from NAACP’s accomplishments and contributions to support the Association. W.E.B. DuBois once said, “Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year. It is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tomorrow. Today is the seed time, now are the hours of work, and tomorrow comes the harvest and the playtime.” Now, as the NAACP turns 100 years old, it has elected its youngest president and CEO in history: Benjamin Todd Jealous, who has the intentions of restoring fiscal prosperity and membership numbers, particularly among the younger generation. Now, as the NAACP turns 100 years old, the Association will thrive under the societal inspiration of having an African-American man lead America’s diverse population. Now, as the NAACP celebrates its Centennial, the dreams of all America’s ancestors can be manifested through you.
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