Prometheus 6

Maybe I'm becoming too cynical as I move closer to the "dying light" but why I do feel that the appointment of Ben Jealous, who is the current CEO of the California-based Rosenburg Foundation, simply compounds some of the fundamental problems the NAACP has had since its founding in 1912? I am not concerned here with whether Mr. Jealous is old enough, black enough or smart enough to run the NAACP. (I do wonder why, however, there were no women in the group of finalists. Appointing a woman to head the NAACP would have been a brilliant and timely move in my opinion.) I am concerned with whether the organization is fully committed to building relationships with black folks that it has historically overlooked and ratcheting down emphasis on so-called racial integration. 

...I thought that the field negro had a pretty interesting take on it as well:

http://field-negro.blogspot.com/2008/05/naacp-and-their-vision-problem.html

I’ve always wondered why no one has ever thought or lobbied to change the name to either:

NAAAA: National Association for the Advancement of African Americans

Or

NAAPC: National Association for the Advancement of People of Color.

Given that at some point in time there was vigorous lobbying to have black people recognized as African Americans.

(…NAACP in my mind always conjures up images of Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, James Baldwin and Charleston Heston at the march on Washington.)

Not that it’s necessarily bad imagery, but more so that it seems to me that it was the apex of it’s relevancy.

Maybe I've been too busy to keep up with what they're all about these days, but I would think that, given the needs of people of color in the 21st century, they would have far more visible marketing campaigns that that would target today's youth in need of guidance and sense of direction to help them focus on how best to survive in the world today, especially when the mainstream education system doesn’t seem to have too much concern or pity on those kids who are, or may be missing the boat.

Case in point, I know that the D.C. government has had more than it’s far share of issues over the years, but why is the NAACP not smack dab in the middle of addressing what’s been going on in the D.C. school system?

Granted, the mayor and the new chancellor seem to be making a genuine effort to get it resolved and have taken some radical and genuinely controversial steps to do so in that respect. But isn’t education an integral part of the advancement of color people? Is the position of the NAACP, either locally or nationally, believe that the District youth were being served in a manner that really promoted their best interests? Where have the protests been?

The only people I’ve ever seen complaining about what’s going have been parents and members of the D.C, council.

Again, if they have and /or are addressing it, I think could really be doing a far better job of making their efforts known.

Case in point, I know that the D.C. government has had more than it’s far share of issues over the years, but why is the NAACP not smack dab in the middle of addressing what’s been going on in the D.C. school system?...

But isn’t education an integral part of the advancement of color people?

The next phase of the civil rights movement is economic empowerment, remember?

If the NAACP changed its name, then I couldn't refer to it as the National Association for the Advancement of Certain People.  

(…Because it’s 'Bigger Than Biggs!')

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nxkgg5zfY_A&feature=related