Some 100 years ago, a biracial group of white and black people came together to establish the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the NAACP. Now, that organization is celebrating 100 years as the oldest and most effective civil rights organization. Here in Fayette County, our 12th Annual Fayette County NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet will be held on Nov. 7, 2009 at the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center. The festivities will begin at 6 p.m. Judge Chuck Floyd will be our Master of Ceremony and activist Attorney Janice Mathis will be the keynote speaker. Ms. Juanita Baranco, owner of Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead is the honorary chairperson. Our theme for the banquet is “Celebrating and Building on 100 Years of Advancement.
As I reflect on how our NAACP predecessors relied on blind faith to break down barriers, open doors and make a way out if no way, I thank them for having the courage to confront racism head on. In those days especially in the South, Negroes or colored people were segregated from whites and often terrorized by intimidation, discrimination, brutality, false accusations, lynching and outright murder.
The founders of the NAACP answered the call and came together, black and white people, and started a movement that would eventually lead to mass integration and the welcome advancement of all colored people. When you understand the old saying, “Evil reigns when good men do nothing,” you know that the brave men and women of the NAACP have made tremendous strides in changing hearts, minds and laws that hindered progress for not only people of color, but women as well. And now because of those brave souls, we can celebrate all of the freedom that they could only dream about. Over the last 100 years, thousands of NAACP members throughout America have worked from generation to generation risking everything to organize, strategize and execute plans that struck down segregation, upgraded education, and opened doors to public places, jobs, careers and businesses previously unavailable to black people.
What wasn’t accomplished in the courtroom was accomplished through demonstrations, boycotts and negotiations. Appreciate how they sacrificed so much to create and sustain an organization that has boldly lived up to its name – the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People!
I love living in Fayette County and because I love this county I am willing to make it a better place for everyone to live and prosper. On the surface we have seen some welcome advancement in Fayette County, but we are not even close to where we ought to be. In many ways, it appears that the real gains of the Civil Rights Movement simply bypassed Fayette County. There is a good reason that no black person has ever been elected as a county commissioner or school board member in Fayette County. At-large voting is a relic of the Jim Crow Era and was and is specifically used in Fayette County today to keep blacks from having any reasonable chance of getting elected to political office. There is also a good reason that there are no black mayors, city council members or black elected officials in almost any capacity. Many black candidates who would run for office refuse to do so knowing that many people will not vote for them simply because of the color of their skin. So why bother to run? There is a good reason that there are too few black school teachers, police officers, sheriff deputies or government workers in leadership positions. Who has a real interest in a diversified police force or government work force? Some of the reasons that there is insufficient diversity in Fayette County is the perceived notion that black people are not worthy of these positions or there is an unreal and perceived fear that black people will degrade the quality of life in Fayette County.
Ironically, many black citizens of Fayette County are well educated and bring great ideas or talents to the table of brotherhood. But who really cares about diversity? Maybe some people just want to cling to the good old days when evil reigned and good people did nothing to stop it. Whatever the reason, the NAACP cares about diversity even when nobody else does. We are here to reassure everyone that we shall overcome the fears and apprehension that prohibits anyone from having equal rights and equal access to government positions, elected offices and other positions of influence.
There is a dire need for economic reciprocity in Fayette County as well. Black people spend millions of dollars in Fayette County annually. It is intuitively evident that many local business owners will not support the NAACP, yet they rely heavily on black consumers to patronize their businesses. How insensitive!
There may soon come a time when we may have to resort to using selective buying whereby we aim to do business with those who understand and support our causes and concerns.
Especially in these tough economic times, business owners need to be very mindful of how selective buying has in the past meant the difference between earning a profit and realizing a loss. Your black customers really do have a choice. Ideally, local merchants should willingly support the NAACP which is then able to promote those businesses, and black consumers would in turn support those merchants who support the NAACP. That is how economic reciprocity works to the benefit of everyone and the whole community prospers. With a rapidly growing black population, the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce will serve its members well by working closely with the Fayette County NAACP to encourage reciprocity. So, let’s get together soon and get this economy back on track. I can envision major profits for businesses that are willing to work with the NAACP.
Lastly, the NAACP is on the move by building our membership so we can bring about changes needed in Fayette County. Some people will resist change; we will bring about change anyhow.
Some may resort to violence or other drastic measures; we will bring about change anyhow. Why? We have a legacy to carry on and it is best described by Dr. King as being able to: “Carve a stone of hope out of a mountain of despair!” That is the meaning behind the Martin Luther King Monument being built on the Mall in Washington D.C. So we are asking all Colored, Negro, Black or African-American citizens and anyone else to join the Fayette County NAACP and make a difference. I recognize the awesome potential for major advancements in civil rights if we had hundreds of active NAACP members working. We can no longer blame anyone but ourselves for allowing or tolerating any ongoing acts of racial profiling, racial discrimination in the workplace or schools, injustice, racial bias, inequality, lack of diversity and at-large voting. There has to be thousands of black people and others in our county who are wise enough to know that Fayette County is in dire need of change. That’s why my personal goal for my term as president of the Fayette County NAACP Branch is to boost membership by at least 1,000 new members. So please join the NAACP today!
You, your family and friends can sign up at www.fcnaacp.org. Think that my goal is unreachable? Just open your Bible and read Matthew 7:7; “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.”
Jones is president of the Fayette County NAACP.
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