"The NAACP; 100 Years Later!"

It's time to Break It Down!

Irrelevant, passé, past its prime; all are terms that have been used recently, and for quite some time to describe the century-old National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Undoubtedly, others say much worse. However, regardless of what one may think about an institution that continues to refer to African Americans as Colored People near the end of the first decade of the 21st Century, the issue of the organization's’s viability remains a pertinent concern.

The venerable Organization celebrated its One Hundredth Anniversary, February 12, 2009. This past weekend, as the Organization kicked-off its Centennial-Year Convention in New York, the CNN Network posed the question, "Is the NAACP still relevant?"

Over the course of the past 100 years, the NAACP has been involved in many landmark decisions in America, having to do with race. But the question of the Day, apparently, is what has it done lately?

In an era when a black man can be elected President of the United States of America, numerous observers inquire, what mountains are left to be scaled in the arena of race in our society? It is fashionable to opine, that the war has been won; next!

That is where, here and now, I submit the question, as well as the premise it is built upon, is a non sequitur of the highest order. There are actually several staples that typically serve as the foundation for this fundamentally flawed and specious argument. The planks include:

• Existing civil rights legislation and protections
• Development and evolution of an identifiable black middle class
• Rising number of black elected officials
• President Obama

Make no mistake, the items on this list are important, and reflect a series of positive changes in our dear America the Beautiful. But do not get it twisted, nor be tempted to throw the baby out with the bath water. Each of those bullet points was the result of protracted battles, often fought by the NAACP. It is fair to say many battled, and in doing so, made the ultimate sacrifice to bring about the changes that are reflected by that list. Moreover, the battles continue.

Yes, blacks in America have made tremendous advances; however, it is not as though the start was on equal footing. The degree to which racial disparities continue to persist is staggering. In social and economic indicators across the board, blacks lag, and the gap while narrowing, is moving at a pace that if continued at the current pace, would require centuries to close. Consider just a few of the numbing details:

• The Institute of Policy Research found that 47.2% of blacks own homes compared
to 75.2% of whites
• The Covenant with Black America noted African Americans have a median net
worth of $5998, compared to $88,651 for whites; moreover 32% of blacks have
zero or negative net worth
• The black unemployment rate is consistently twice that of whites
• According to the National Urban League, nearly 25% of black Americans live
below the poverty line, nearly three times the percentage for whites
• It is estimated 13% of black 16-24 year-olds have not earned a high school
diploma; the number is 7% for whites
• The African American college graduation rate is 61% of that for whites
• Black infants are nearly 2.5 times more likely to die before their first
birthday than whites

(Courtesy of Anson Asaka; April 24, 2008)

Those are depressing statistics, but they do not by any means tell the entire story. Equally appalling figures detail disparities in HIV/AIDS rates, the propensity for incarceration, and victimization of blacks by police violence.

Add to all these measures the fact that almost daily some new affront or assault permeates the veneer that is our comfortably civil society. Whether it is likening the First Lady to an ape escaped from the Columbia, South Carolina Zoo, or disseminating an Obama White House Watermelon Patch parody (sent by high ranking government officials from California, and North Carolina), or rescinding a contract and barring black and Latino children from using a swimming in Pennsylvania, the facts are beyond dispute; there is much work to be done...still!

Given the weight of the evidence, I must conclude, “The NAACP; 100 Years Later,” is relevant, currently needed, and no where near its prime. If anything, we should all call collectively for substantial and capable reinforcement. Quickly!

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/. A new post is published each Wednesday.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

http://naacpblogs.naacp.org/blog/?p=24

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100752659

http://www.naacp.org/about/history/howbegan/index.htm

http://www.africanaonline.com/orga_naacp.htm

http://newblackman.blogspot.com/2009/02/npr-is-naacp-still-relevant.html

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/05/naacp-still-rel.html

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/02/12/NAACP-still-relevant-leader-says/UPI-19391234469587/

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/387780_naacp14.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hBWSL3NpQc

http://www.michronicleonline.com/articlelive/articles/2781/1/Rev-Wendell-Anthony-answers-the-questionIs-the-NAACP-still-relevant/Page1.html

http://blogs.bet.com/news/pamela/2009/07/14/naacp-still-relevent/

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/07/14/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5159873.shtml

http://www.washingtoninformer.com/wi-web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1614:bold-dreams-big-victories-highlights-naacp-100th-anniversary-convention-&catid=51:national&Itemid=114

http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/136415

http://www.washingtoninformer.com/OPEDlettertoeditor2006Aug3.html