NAACP

25 April 2008

By Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II
NC NAACP State Conference President

The NAACP is fiercely non-partisan. We do not endorse candidates. But for over 99 years, the NAACP has also been fiercely anti-racist. In 1898 White Supremacists who controlled the North Carolina Democratic Party at that time, published racist cartoons, lies, and half truths about Black people to plow the fields for a terrorist attack that killed scores of Black people and exiled Black and White leaders of the fragile political alliance that was forming. The cartoons, the attack ads of the day, stirred up hatred and violence that scared poor White voters out of the alliance, and disenfranchised Black voters for three generations of Jim Crow. Read the rest of this entry →

NAACP pushes for Commission on Health Equality
By: Adam Wittenberg

HARTFORD - Black children are nearly three times more likely to die as infants than whites in Connecticut according to a recent report, and health and wellness disparities between the races continue into later years.The state NAACP, which authored the study, gathered with religious leaders and lawmakers at the state Capitol Wednesday to advocate for health care reforms.

“How can the richest state in the U.S. be in the top 10″ in health care “for the majority population and be 26th in infant mortality for African American children?” asked James Rawlings, chairman of the NAACP’s health committee and executive director of community health at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

The health care system is broken, not only in terms of access but in the way minorities are treated when they seek care, said the Rev. Shelley D.B. Copeland, executive director of the Capital Region Conference of Churches.
©www.MyRecordJournal.com 2008

Published on Friday, April 4, 2008 by CommonDreams.org
40 Years Later, (The Late) Martin Luther King Still Silenced
by Jeff Cohen

Soon after Martin Luther King’s birthday became a federal holiday in 1986, I began prodding mainstream media to cover the dramatic story of King’s last year as he campaigned militantly against U.S. foreign and economic policy. Most of his last speeches were recorded. But year after year, corporate networks have refused to air the tapes.

Last night NBC Nightly anchor Brian Williams enthused over new color footage of King that adorned its coverage of the 40th anniversary of the assassination. The report focused on the last phase of King’s life. But the same old blinders were in place. Read the rest of this entry →

Today, on the 40^th anniversary of his assassination in Memphis, the NAACP honors the memory and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Forty years after his death, America has seen some progress in equality: educational opportunities have increased and workplaces and political leadership are more diverse. But when you consider these facts, it is very clear that we still have a long way to go.

• African Americans represent just 12% of the overall population, yet almost 30% of those arrested are African American. And once arrested, African Americans are three times more likely to be incarcerated than whites.
  
• The average net worth of white families is $70,000, compared to just $6,000 for African-American families.
  
• African-American women are 10% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than white women, but 36% more likely to die of breast cancer than white women.

Dr. King’s involvement with the NAACP dates back to his work in Alabama in the 1950’s, and the NAACP honored Dr. King with its most prestigious prize, the Spingarn Award. We were proud to work side by side with Dr. King, and to carry on our work today on behalf of all people of color.

Dr. King pushed America to fulfill its promise of equal rights for all. Today we should all honor his life and legacy by recommitting ourselves to keeping the dream alive.

Sincerely,

Dennis Courtland Hayes
Interim President

April 4, 2008

Alamogordo Daily News
By Karl Anderson, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 04/01/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT

Holloman Middle School teacher Trude Trudell was presented the Otero County NAACP Teacher of the Year Award for 2008 at a banquet held at the Desert Sands Club at Holloman Air Force Base Saturday night.

The ceremony began with guest speaker Dr. Joyce Hill from New Mexico State University-Alamogordo, who spoke of her career as an educator and the value of teachers to society.

“My students would be shocked to know I am scared to death to talk,” she began. “They’d call me long-winded, though.” Read the rest of this entry →

Thanks to the NAACP chair in Kansas City for sending this out in that area.

See also letter from AME Church in Los Angeles, CA

SIXTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT
2900 Chamblee-Tucker Road
Building Three
Atlanta, Georgia 30342-4156

WILLIAM PHILLIPS DEVEAUX
PRESIDING BISHOP

March 19, 2008

We, the Sixth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, representing more than 80,000 members and clergy in the State of Georgia, USA, express support for our clergy colleague, the Reverend Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Jr., retired pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ. Rev. Wright is a renowned religious scholar, nurturing pastor and outstanding preacher. He built Trinity from a small flock of eighty to a grand congregation of 8,000 members. Our friend and fellow minister of the gospel has been vilified in the national media for practicing the Great Commission to go ye preach and baptize in my name. Indeed, Rev. Wright has received untold criticism for bringing souls to Christ, the very thing that he was specifically ordained to do. Read the rest of this entry →