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Post by GorgeousNgreen on May 17, 2008 11:34:02 GMT -5
(CNN) -- The NAACP has chosen Ben Jealous as its new president after a contentious debate that lasted long into the night, members of its board of directors said Saturday.
Jealous, 35, will be the youngest president in the NAACP's 99-year history, The Associated Press reported.
When the 34-21 vote was announced, "no one clapped or celebrated," one board member said after the meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.
Jealous was the only finalist presented by the search committee to the full board for consideration. Some board members wanted to hear from two others whom the search committee identified as finalists, but Jealous' supporters prevented it, sources said.
Jealous steps into a challenging role.
"There are a small number of groups to whom all black people in this country owe a debt of gratitude, and the NAACP is one of them," Jealous told AP before the vote. "There is work that is undone ... the need continues and our children continue to be at great risk in this country."
Sources said Jealous, a former newspaper editor and director of an Amnesty International division, was the only finalist for the post of president, vacant for more than a year. He was the primary choice of board Chairman Julian Bond, sources said.
He replaces Bruce Gordon, a retired Verizon executive who quit in March 2007, citing friction with Bond and the group's 64-member board. Gordon said he was also unhappy with the direction of the NAACP, the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization.
Jealous is president of the California-based Rosenberg Foundation, and before that he directed the U.S. human rights program for Amnesty International.
In the mid-1990s, Jealous was the managing editor of the Jackson Advocate, the oldest black newspaper in Mississippi. He was later the executive director of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a federation of more than 200 black community papers.
Jealous began his career as an organizer with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund,working on health care issues, the NAACP said.
Jealous, a native of California, is a graduate of Columbia University and Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, the NAACP said.
He told AP that many in his generation have a false sense of progress in racial equality.
"Those of us who are 45 and younger were told, 'The struggle has been won. Go out and flourish. Don't worry about the movement,"' he told AP.
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Post by Champs Elysees on May 17, 2008 12:29:20 GMT -5
(CNN) -- The NAACP has chosen Ben Jealous as its new president after a contentious debate that lasted long into the night, members of its board of directors said Saturday. Jealous, 35, will be the youngest president in the NAACP's 99-year history, The Associated Press reported. When the 34-21 vote was announced, "no one clapped or celebrated," one board member said after the meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.
Even the people how voted for him didn't clap?  [/color][/size] Jealous was the only finalist presented by the search committee to the full board for consideration. Some board members wanted to hear from two others whom the search committee identified as finalists, but Jealous' supporters prevented it, sources said.Them niggas is crooks! Only one finalist?? Hmmm . . . Jealous steps into a challenging role. "There are a small number of groups to whom all black people in this country owe a debt of gratitude, and the NAACP is one of them," Jealous told AP before the vote. "There is work that is undone ... the need continues and our children continue to be at great risk in this country." Sources said Jealous, a former newspaper editor and director of an Amnesty International division, was the only finalist for the post of president, vacant for more than a year. He was the primary choice of board Chairman Julian Bond, sources said.I don't trust any "black" civil rights activist who sleeps with the enemy every night.
 He replaces Bruce Gordon, a retired Verizon executive who quit in March 2007, citing friction with Bond and the group's 64-member board. Gordon said he was also unhappy with the direction of the NAACP, the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. A 64-member board!!!!! WTF!!!! Jealous is president of the California-based Rosenberg Foundation, and before that he directed the U.S. human rights program for Amnesty International. In the mid-1990s, Jealous was the managing editor of the Jackson Advocate, the oldest black newspaper in Mississippi. He was later the executive director of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a federation of more than 200 black community papers. Jealous began his career as an organizer with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund,working on health care issues, the NAACP said. Jealous, a native of California, is a graduate of Columbia University and Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, the NAACP said.Rhodes scholarships were set up by the racist and imperialist Britishman Cecil Rhodes who also owned DeBeers. I don't trust anyone who takes money from them. He told AP that many in his generation have a false sense of progress in racial equality. "Those of us who are 45 and younger were told, 'The struggle has been won. Go out and flourish. Don't worry about the movement,"' he told AP.[/quote] LOL @ the irony of dude's name!
I say GET OUT of the NAACP. I know many orgs have lifetime memberships with the organization, but these people are crooks. No question! I will never support them again! |
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Post by GorgeousNgreen on May 17, 2008 12:30:44 GMT -5
LMAO @ -->" I don't trust any "black" civil rights activist who sleeps with the enemy every night. "
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Post by Champs Elysees on May 17, 2008 12:32:14 GMT -5
This is the dude. 
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Post by ReignMan19 on May 17, 2008 14:24:08 GMT -5
Yes, that 64 member board prevents them from making any real difference in the community.. the NAACP is alive due to name reconigition only..
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Post by Bunny Hop on May 17, 2008 15:35:51 GMT -5
That's too many people on a board. My goodness...I don't see how they get anything accomplished at a meeting cause old Black folks love to hear themselves talk, lol. Maybe some young blood and a different point of view is what the NAACP needs.
I was done with them in college when the president got up at a meeting and told everyone a bunch of lies about the Civil Rights museum in Memphis and about plans for the chapter to make trip there. I knew this stuff wasn't totally true because my best friend's aunt is a curator there. Of course he got corrected in a phone conversation with her and canceled the trip but I don't think he ever told everyone the truth.
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Post by Cambist on May 17, 2008 20:40:40 GMT -5
Bruce Gordon should have been the president. These negros are good at coonin' ...that's about it. I've been done with the NAACP since college as well.
This is a PRIME example of holding on to tradition for traditions sake. Maintaining a stranglehold on power to the detriment of the future.
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Post by QUIET As Kept on May 18, 2008 9:30:45 GMT -5
I'm with lady...what's up with his last name being Jealous?!?? That's crazy! LOLOL
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Post by No Screen Name on May 18, 2008 14:45:19 GMT -5
Wasn't Bruce Gordon the one who tried to make some SUBSTANTIVE changes and bring the org into the 21st century--address the housing crisis, partner with banks and other companies to educate African-Americans--but was shot down and quit? If my memory serves me, he had some really good ideas, but the 64-member board was still stuck in the 60s.
I was pretty much done with them after that (well really, BEFORE that, but I was really, really, REALLY done with them then).
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Post by Cambist on May 18, 2008 22:23:36 GMT -5
<<== loves Z
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Post by Southie on May 19, 2008 6:51:12 GMT -5
Would someone re-explain the purpose of the NAACP?  A lot has changed since 1906 |
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Post by ReignMan19 on May 19, 2008 7:40:07 GMT -5
^^^^ really... i dont have the slightest idea of its purpose and/ or current vision
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Post by ReignMan19 on May 19, 2008 7:43:09 GMT -5
This is the dude. BWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA Is it possible for someone to LOOK unproductive.... |
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Post by 123Diva on May 19, 2008 7:57:39 GMT -5
Ya'll as someone who worked with the NAACP in undergrad and was close to people at headquarters, I will confirm that there is definitely a lot of jackassery going on in that office. It's such a shame... I mean real crazy stuff that would shut them down permanently of the media ever got wind.
Clearly, the NAACP cannot even keep a president. Lots of dirty politics, senseless scandals, and old guard/new guard squabbles are to blame.
smh
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Post by Highly Favored on May 19, 2008 9:50:18 GMT -5
Would someone re-explain the purpose of the NAACP? A lot has changed since 1906 I'd like to know, too. I have never really been interested in the organization because I haven't seen the real difference it has made in our generation. I haven't followed its activities in recent years, but,what I heard before that wasn't too positive. It seems that most of the time it was mentioned, it was due to some foolishness that it should not be involved in, IMHO. |
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Post by Champs Elysees on May 19, 2008 11:27:38 GMT -5
Would someone re-explain the purpose of the NAACP? A lot has changed since 1906 I'd like to know, too. I have never really been interested in the organization because I haven't seen the real difference it has made in our generation. I haven't followed its activities in recent years, but,what I heard before that wasn't too positive. It seems that most of the time it was mentioned, it was due to some foolishness that it should not be involved in, IMHO.
The problem with the old guard who are running the NAACP and other similar institutions is that they want to maintain power by pissing off "whitey" as little as possible. By tackling relevant issues and being proactive instead of reactive, they shift the balance pf power and energize young people with new ideas who want to take over.
They ain't having that!
I'd once considered reactivating my membership jus so I can put it on my resume, but after this mess, I'mma have to look to something else!  |
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Post by Cambist on May 19, 2008 12:34:44 GMT -5
I will write a letter to the next General President of my fraternity and ask if we should continue to support an organization and it's unproductive mission and actions.
The question will be rhetorical, of course.
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Post by Champs Elysees on May 19, 2008 12:51:32 GMT -5
Do ya'll have a life membership with them??
Although we agree that the NAACP is much ado about nothing, they are still the oldest social justice org in existence. Can you just quielty pull back from them??
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Post by No Screen Name on May 19, 2008 13:11:16 GMT -5
<-------------------Loves Cam. ;D
The NAACP is just a microcosm of the African-American community as a whole. This really is a big problem. My hometown is nearly 50% black. We have a lot of local organizations that are like mini-NAACPs, and they are in the same predicament--the 70+ year-old leadership REFUSES to give up power, and/or groom the younger generation (45 and under). As a result, they have run off a TON of members from these groups, and they are SOOOO unproductive, stagnant and basically useless.
It's sad, because there are a lot of bright, educated, professional Blacks there who are not getting involved in the political system or the community.
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Post by Cambist on May 19, 2008 13:38:22 GMT -5
I say this problem requires a takeover of these organizations. Kinda like my HBCU's alumni association. Most of the members in my area graduated in the 60's or before. They aren't interested in young members joining and when one does, they get treated like the leper stepchild.
We have decided to start having social events with our Young Alumni Network (young is relative..I know) and before homecoming '08, we will take over the local chapter. There must be about 160 of us in this group compared to the 25 or so that have run the chapter for over 30 years.
Power concedes nothing without a struggle and this is no exception. If it's our time to lead then we must prove it.
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Post by Highly Favored on May 19, 2008 14:49:34 GMT -5
I say this problem requires a takeover of these organizations. Kinda like my HBCU's alumni association. Most of the members in my area graduated in the 60's or before. They aren't interested in young members joining and when one does, they get treated like the leper stepchild. We have decided to start having social events with our Young Alumni Network (young is relative..I know) and before homecoming '08, we will take over the local chapter. There must be about 160 of us in this group compared to the 25 or so that have run the chapter for over 30 years. Power concedes nothing without a struggle and this is no exception. If it's our time to lead then we must prove it. I really like this approach. |
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Post by No Screen Name on May 19, 2008 21:18:05 GMT -5
The problem as I see it is that the younger generation has been disconnected for so long, it's difficult to drum up interest. Also, there still is a need for leadership from the older generation, but a lot of the older ones who are knowlegable (like my father--we argue about this CONSTANTLY) are kind of like, "fvck it", and have no interest as serving as much-needed mentors.
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Post by water on May 20, 2008 11:26:59 GMT -5
the naacp is  maybe this youngster can liven them dry bones up |
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