Urban Thought Collective

Couldn’t it have lasted longer than a week? So while we are all enjoying our euphoria over President Obama two things happen which bring us crashing down to earth. The cookies at a bakery in New York City’s East Village (I won’t even dignify them with a name—check out the article you will be as appalled as I am) and then the exploitation attempt by the makers of Obama girl dolls. These instances and the murder of Oscar Grant in San Francisco in early-January demonstrate that the post-racial era that many in the media have talked about has not come to pass; the work of organizations focusing on the black community is far from done.

Now that we have President Obama, that does not end the work of the National Action Network, Urban League, United Negro College Fund and the NAACP. But in many ways these organizations need to fight their way back into the spotlight. The NAACP turns 100 on February 9, 2009 and in some ways is suffering from a “what have you done for me lately?” problem. When there is a problem in the black community, the NAACP is sometimes one of the last places people call when it really should be the first. In many cases the first call is to Al Sharpton, then the local newspaper.

The NAACP has seen some of its mantle being taken up by organizations that may not have the name recognition but nonetheless are getting things done like Color of Change. Color of Change is a great website that strives to raise the level of engagement of African-Americans in the political process. Color of Change was one of the first groups that started publicizing the plight of the Jena 6, they mobilized their members after the Oscar Grant murder and regularly notify their subscribers when something happens and give them ways to act. This is the kind of work that the NAACP did in the 60’s when our parents were members. The NAACP used to be an organization that played more than a passive role in the lives of African-Americans. It needs to start doing so again or step aside.

I was disheartened when I read an article alleging that the Boston NAACP chapter was inactive. “Amid Political Turmoil, Is Boston’s NAACP Chapter MIA?” I do not know the background of the situation affecting the Boston chapter or if there is a problem at all, but if there is it could be caused by ineffective leadership, the financial woes currently affecting all nonprofit organizations or the inability to engage folks. But it can’t be because black folks in Boston don’t need advancement or that Boston is now a post-racial society. We still need the advancement that the NAACP talks about. When we look at the school to prison pipeline for young black men, the disparities in the criminal justice system, the rates of HIV in the black community, the subprime mortgage crisis, the erosion of the black middle class as a result of the recession, and the blacklash against Affirmative Action that is likely to get stronger; it is clear that we need the NAACP and they have a lot of work to do.

It has been repeatedly said that the NAACP lacks relevance, it’s been singing the same song since the 60’s. The fact that the relevance of the NAACP is being constantly questioned is a problem that affects us all. Some question whether in this post-Obama post-racial world we even need an organization like the NAACP; the answer to that question is emphatically yes; the situations described above demonstrate its necessity. But the NAACP needs to make itself important and relevant again before it can convince younger African-Americans that the organization speaks for them. The NAACP website lists some great initiatives: membership, advocacy training, legal capacity, policy advocacy capacity, criminal justice, civil rights compliance, economic empowerment, educational excellence, health advocacy, and political empowerment. I like these initiatives much better than the Image Awards! One organization can’t do it all but we still need the NAACP to fulfill the mission in its name: the “advancement of colored people.”

Many people say that its time for the NAACP leadership to step aside, that a changing of the guard is needed. Possibly. They have made some changes recently and have new leadership. But is it enough? Maybe the NAACP should take a cue from what I call the “Kirk Franklin” phenomenon—Kirk Franklin revolutionized gospel and added hip hop elements because that is what young people at black churches wanted to hear. At the time there was a lot of resistance but he expanded the tent and gave gospel music a hip hop beat for a hip hop generation. The NAACP needs to come up with a new beat for a new audience.

The question “What Exactly Does the NAACP” do is too often asked. Why are we still asking this question? We should know the answer. The NAACP is turning 100 years old, the organization should tell us exactly what they do, why anyone under the age of 60 should get involved and what the plan is. I think that would go a long way towards reengaging those of us ages 18-45 who wonder if the NAACP is past its prime.

I can’t believe that the NAACP’s best days are behind them but it’s time for a game change. Congratulations on 100 years.

Angelia Dickens is an attorney and author with lots of thoughts and opinions, and now a place to share them (other than with her friends and family). Her blog is a compilation of her musings and commentary on charitable giving, volunteerism and philanthropy from an African-American perspective. Her writings have appeared in the Nonprofit Times and the Root.com. She can be reached at speakyourvoice@gmail.com. Read, comment and circulate.