E-mail a friendMarch 9, 2007
What Now for the NAACP?
Bruce Gordon's resignation as president leaves lingering questions about the future of the NAACP.
Almost 100 years old, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is one of the nation's oldest and most influential civil rights organization. Started by a diverse group of activists, the NAACP has taken on activities ranging from overturning Jim Crow statutes to campaigning for racial diversity in entertainment. There is current debate about whether the NAACP should focus on advocacy, service or a combination of the two. And some people, particularly younger generations, are saying the organization is "out of touch."
Outgoing NAACP President Bruce Gordon says...
"This is clearly a story about a board and a CEO that could not find a way to productively work together. Let me be very clear about that. But let me also say this: the NAACP has two fabulous assets; a well-recognized brand, and 2,000 operating units across the country. These are assets that could be very, very powerful, but they are underperforming.
"There has to be an acceptance, a willingness to change. You can't do the same thing for 98 years and expect that you will succeed. So where we are at risk is in - and I say we, the NAACP and the communities that the NAACP serves - where we are at risk is in accepting what is required in change. And is there a willingness to change the way we do our work?"
Monday, March 5, 2007
Is the NAACP out of touch with African Americans today? What direction should the organization take (advocacy, service, both)? How can the NAACP make itself relevant to a younger generation?
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