[Peace-discuss] Join the NAACP? (let's not miss this opportunity)

Mon Nov 8 09:42:24 CST 2004

My NAACP from the 60s included Native Americans in "Colored People"  When I joined last year, I didn't even get a membership card, so I've no idea who all are included....hopefully more than just African Americans, tho' maybe we should check this.  Anyhow, if Native Americans and Latinos are included, I suggest "persons of color" and "whites" -- both are clear and  (hopefully) not offensive, esp since the CP in NAACP stands for Colored People.

My 2c worth.

Jenifer C.

-----Original Message-----
From: Al Kagan <akagan at uiuc.edu>
Sent: Nov 7, 2004 9:26 PM
To: Randall Cotton <recotton at earthlink.net>
Cc: peace-discuss at lists.cu.groogroo.com
Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Join the NAACP? (let's not miss this opportunity)

I want to second Randall's message.  The Unity March was a wonderful 
step in organizing ourselves around these issues as well as organizing 
the black community.  There has been nothing like it in the 12 years I 
have been here.  Let's move this forward as best as we can.

P.S.  I would recommend against using the term "non-white."  Let's use 
positive terminology.

On Nov 7, 2004, at 1:40 PM, Randall Cotton wrote:

> For folks in AWARE who may be undecided about whether to join the NAACP
> right now, I'd just like to remind folks that "Anti-Racism Effort" is 
> half
> of our name, yet our group is almost entirely white and our focus has 
> mostly
> been anti-war. These incongruities have been brought out in the open 
> within
> the group in the past, though they've never been fully resolved in my 
> view.
>
> I believe that for AWARE folks to join and participate in the NAACP at 
> this
> moment in time in support of (and at the invitation of) Carol & Aaron 
> offers
> a great opportunity for AWARE to make substantial forward progress in
> resolving these incongruities within the group.
>
> I believe that there is nothing wrong with our group being mostly white
> while proclaiming that we make an "Anti-Racism Effort". But I also 
> believe
> that since we are almost entirely white, that places substantial 
> limits on
> what we can accomplish in our Anti-Racism efforts, especially regarding
> local racism against African-Americans. If folks in AWARE are serious 
> about
> making efforts to fight local racism, I think that also getting 
> involved in
> other, multi-racial (even predominantly non-white) anti-racism 
> organizations
> would go a long way toward accomplishing that.
>
> And now we are openly being invited to become part of a renewal of the
> Champaign County NAACP, a predominantly black organization whose 
> mission is
> to fight for racial equality and against racial discrimination and
> prejudice. It's the perfect opportunity - we can substantially advance 
> our
> "Anti-Racism Effort" so that it comes closer to the extent of our 
> "Anti-War
> Effort" while remaining a group that folks join on their own volition 
> (and
> not, for instance, a group that might try to artificially "recruit"
> non-whites in an attempt to overcome the limitation of being almost
> exclusively white.)
>
> Let's not miss this opportunity.
>
> Please attend today's meeting - membership forms will be available. The
> annual fee is $30. And time is running out - in order to participate 
> in the
> coming NAACP election, completed forms and fees must get to Carol 
> Ammons
> before November 11th.
>
> R
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Randall Cotton" <recotton at earthlink.net>
> To: "Peace-discuss" <peace-discuss at lists.groogroo.com>
> Sent: Sunday, November 07, 2004 11:35 AM
> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Join the NAACP?
>
>
> : For more information on recent turmoil in the NAACP, see these 
> News-Gazoo
> : stories. If you don't know much about what's been happening with the
> NAACP,
> : I imagine these can at least provide some basic facts on recent 
> history.
> :
> : R
> :
> : NAACP's ex-chief pleads guilty
> : By MIKE MONSON
> : Published Online September 4, 2004
> : http://www.news-gazette.com/story.cfm?Number=16676
> :
> : NAACP leader resigns for health reasons
> :  By PAUL WOOD
> : Published Online September 22, 2004
> : http://www.news-gazette.com/story.cfm?Number=16787
> :
> :
> :
> : ----- Original Message -----
> : From: "John Wason" <jbw29 at joimail.com>
> : To: "Prairie Greens" <prairiegreens at lists.groogroo.com>;
> : <cprb at lists.cu.groogroo.com>; "UC Progressives"
> : <UCProgressives at lists.groogroo.com>; "Peace-discuss"
> : <peace-discuss at lists.groogroo.com>
> : Sent: Sunday, November 07, 2004 5:41 AM
> : Subject: [Peace-discuss] Join the NAACP?
> :
> :
> : :
> : : Dear colleagues,
> : :
> : : If you've ever given serious thought to joining the NAACP, now 
> would
> seem
> : to be the time. Following the confusion caused by the former local
> : President's indiscretions, membership locally has fallen off, and 
> they're
> : conducting a membership drive. In addition, Carol Ammons is throwing 
> her
> hat
> : into the proverbial ring as a candidate for President of the local 
> branch.
> : :
> : : Many of you know Carol, who with her husband Aaron is a co-founder 
> of CU
> : Citizens for Peace and Justice. They have both been extremely active 
> in
> : community organizing, voter registration, and various 
> community-police
> : concerns including the taser and eavesdropping issues and the ongoing
> effort
> : to establish Citizen Police Review Boards in our community. I 
> personally
> : have no doubt that Carol, with Aaron's support, is exactly the right
> person
> : to re-energize the local NAACP and to help build vital bridges across
> : University Avenue. She will have my full support.
> : :
> : : Adult membership is $30/year, and application forms would have to 
> be in
> by
> : November 11 if you wish to participate in this year's election 
> process.
> The
> : local NAACP meets on the third Tuesday of each month. Officer 
> nominations
> : for this year will take place on November 16, and elections will be 
> held
> on
> : December 21 unless the date gets changed. You can get an application 
> form
> : from Aaron or Carol by e-mailing them at 
> lifestratinst19 at sbcglobal.net.
> : They'll be happy to answer any questions you might have. Or I can 
> e-mail
> you
> : a jpg of the application form (unfortunately not very good quality, 
> but
> : legible), which you can print out and fill out. Carol has also 
> written a
> : letter regarding her candidacy, which I or the Ammons' can e-mail 
> you if
> : you're interested.
> : :
> : : One caveat: Anyone wishing to join should probably have the 
> intention of
> : playing an active role in the NAACP for the long term, and not just 
> be
> : joining in order to influence the election. The nature of racial 
> politics
> is
> : unfortunately such that it would undermine Carol's position in the 
> black
> : community if it was thought that she was packing the meeting with 
> white
> : folks simply in order to win the election.
> : :
> : : Thank you for your attention. Please contact me or Carol and Aaron
> Ammons
> : if you have any questions or concerns. And remember that the 
> application
> : deadline is November 11 if you want to have input in the election 
> process.
> : :
> : : Sincerely,
> : :
> : : John Wason
> :
> :
> :
> : : _______________________________________________
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> : : Peace-discuss at lists.cu.groogroo.com
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> : :
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Al Kagan
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61820
USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax 217-333-2214
akagan at uiuc.edu