Lansing Branch N.A.A.C.P. 1801 W. Main Street • Lansing, MI 48915 Phone: (517) 484-9171 • Fax: (517) 484-5051 www.naacplansing.org
Newsletter		Spring 2004

 

LANSING BRANCH   WELCOMES JEANNE BAUGH AS INTERIM PRESIDENT

 

 

reetings to each of you. I am honored and humbled to serve you as Interim President. As you may know, I have long been active in the Lansing Branch and am a Subscribing Golden Heritage member. In 2002, I was elected as 1^st Vice President and succeeded to the position of Interim President earlier this year when James Gill, who had been elected Branch President in 2002, launched his bid for Ingham County Sheriff. National NAACP Bylaws require that Branch officers who run for elected office step down during their campaign and we wish Gill well.

 

The baton has been passed.  But let there be no mistake that our goals and priorities remain the same. The Branch will continue to work to implement strategic capacity building and civil rights initiatives mandated by our National Office to eradicate racism and ensure equality.

 

 

Recruitment of new members is key to the life of our organization. But we must do more than simply increase our numbers. It is essential that we actively involve new members in accomplishing our mission. I will work to make this a reality by helping to hone the skills and cultivate the service of our adult and youth members. And, with your help, I will work to make the Lansing Branch a more welcoming organization.

 

We must continue to clearly articulate our goals, what steps we will take to accomplish them and openly and honestly assess our progress. We will continue to hold ourselves accountable and to stand on principle.

 

I look forward to working with each of you and invite you to bring your ideas to the table as we fashion bold new strategies for addressing injustice and inequality in our community.

 

 

2004 BANQUET PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING

 

he first meeting to begin planning this year’s Freedom Fund Banquet will be on Wednesday, April 21, 2004 at 5:00 p.m. at the LeJon Building.

 

Melvin Coleman and Rudy Wilson will again serve as Banquet Committee Co-chairs. If you have questions, please leave a message for them at 484-9171.

 

 

“FROM AFRICAN TO AFRICAN AMERICAN: THE DNA EVIDENCE” PROGRAM

 

he Lansing Branch NAACP is joining with The New Citizens Press, Faith United Methodist Church, South Lansing Ministries, and JATHA Productions to sponsor “From African to African American: The DNA Evidence.”  This program will feature Dr. Rick Kittles, Co-director of Molecular Genetics at Howard University’s National Genome Center. The Genome Center is a state-of-the-art laboratory Dr. Kittles helped to establish to trace African ancestry using DNA. He has also conducted research on the genetics of prostate cancer and genetic variations in the African Diaspora.

 

The program will be held on Saturday, April 24, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. at the Faith United Methodist Church. The church is located at 4301 S. Waverly Road in Lansing. Admission is $5.

 

 

CORRECTION: The Winter 2003 Newsletter erroneously indicated that Lansing Branch NAACP memberships were tax deductible. The Lansing Branch is a 501 © 4 organization. As such, contributions are generally not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes.

 

 

NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE    Jeanne Baugh, Ex-officio  Lester Bryant  Richard Clement  Mary Morton  Carrie Owens  Genice Rhodes-Reed, Ph.D., Editor    Contact us at:  editor@naacplansing.org    Copying by Hill Vocational Center

 

BRANCH COMMEMORATES BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION 50^TH ANNIVERSARY

 

his year will mark the 50^th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Brown versus Board of Education decision. In 1954, the Supreme Court determined

that separate schools for black and white students were “inherently unequal,”  that all children are entitled to the same high quality of education regardless of race and mandated the desegregation of schools with “all deliberate speed.”

 

Although the Brown decision came about in response to a series of educational challenges in four states (Delaware, Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia) and the District of Columbia which were combined into one case, it is credited with having broad ramifications. The decision has been credited by some as signaling the start of the Civil Rights Movement and ending segregation not just in our schools but in public accommodations in general.

 

Despite considerable progress in the 50 years since the Brown decision, we remain in the midst of an historic struggle, one that will undoubtedly define the future character and direction of our nation. A recent report of the Harvard University Civil Rights Project documents that our schools are as segregated today as they were in 1969, the year following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As communities have become increasingly residentially segregated so, too, have our schools

 

The Lansing Branch will commemorate the momentous Brown decision, also viewed as the NAACP’s most magnificent legal victory, by hosting “Brown 50 Years and Beyond: Promise and Progress.”  We invite you to join us on Sunday, May 16, 2004 at 4:00 p.m. at Friendship Baptist Church as we examine the legacy of Brown and the future of education for minority children here in Lansing and in our nation. We have planned what we hope will be a thought provoking program that will empower and inspire.

 

Friendship is located at 2919 Pleasant Grove Road in Lansing. Refreshments will be provided following the program.

 

If you have questions or would like to work with the planning committee for this event, contact Program Chair Patricia Fitzpatrick at 321-4552.

 

 

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”          -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

LANSING BRANCH LAWSUIT TO DESEGREGATE LANSING PUBLIC SCHOOLS

 

n 1972, the Lansing Branch NAACP filed suit against the Lansing Board of Education alleging that the Lansing Board of Education violated the constitutional rights of the district’s school children by denying them equal educational opportunity on the basis of race.

 

The suit was filed after five newly elected School Board members voted to rescind the desegregation plan approved by the members they replaced in a recall election. The five courageous members of the School Board who passed the policy to desegregate Lansing schools by equitably distributing the student population and who were recalled as a result were: Hortense Canady, the first and onlu African American elected to the Lansing School Board and at that time along with Richard Beers, Nellie Nursdorpher, Clarence Rosa, and Kathryn Voucher.

 

The late Attorney John “Jack” Davis filed and successfully pled the case in U.S. District Court before Judge Noel Fox. The court found that the  newly elected school board’s rejection of a previous board’s desegregation plan fostered de jure segregation. The District was subsequently ordered by the court to desegregate Lansing Schools.

 

Over the years, the NAACP has helped to monitor the racial balance in Lansing schools. In recent years, however, the plan has been thwarted because of residential patterns that have made it difficult to maintain a racial balance in Lansing schools. Following the desegregation plan, white families began moving to outlying areas, a trend that has been repeated nationwide as whites have moved to suburban and rural areas. Per pupil expenditures have followed them, leaving African American and Latino children in inner city schools.

 

As we commemorate the 50^th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, we remember with pride the efforts of the Lansing Branch NAACP to integrate Lansing Public Schools and provide a quality education for all children. We also salute the courageous and pioneering efforts of Hortense Canady, Richard Beers, Nellie Nursdorpher, Clarence Rosa, and Kathryn Voucher for standing on principle.

 

“We must become the change we want to see.”    -Mahatma Ghandi

 

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JUDGE DEALS BLOW TO ANTI-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PETITION DRIVE

 

ngham County Circuit Court Judge Paula Manderfield ruled that the Board of State Canvassers should not have approved petitions being circulated by a group to end affirmative action in public universities and other government agencies. She said that the petition did not, as it should have, reflect their intent to “alter or abrogate” existing provisions of the Michigan Constitution. The board was, therefore, ordered to rescind approval of the petition in its current form.

 

Judge Manderfield’s decision is a victory for supporters of affirmative action. The Board of Canvassers has rescinded approval of the petitions, which will slow the momentum of the anti-affirmative action group because none of the petitions collected to date can be used. The group will need to act quickly to seek approval of a new petition and begin signature collection anew if the initiative is to appear on the November ballot. This time, they will also need to be clear about the intent of the petition.

 

Connerly and his Michigan followers are attempting to make affirmative action for women and minorities illegal in higher education, employment and contracting. Their petition was deceptively titled the Michigan “Civil Rights” Initiative leading many to believe that it was a pro affirmative action and civil rights.

 

Although having to discard petition signatures collected to date will certainly serve as a setback, the battle is far from finished. Michigan’s Attorney General Mike Cox has decided to appeal Judge Manderfield’s decision. And, the coalition groups that filed the initial lawsuit have vowed to appeal his appeal.

 

The signatures of 317,757 Michigan registered voters will be needed by July 6, 2004 in order to place the initiative on the ballot for the November election.

 

 

MARCH ON WASHINGTON

 

ARCH on Washington on Saturday, May 15, 2004, at noon at Upper Senate Park in Washington, D.C. (Constitution Avenue, North of the U.S. Capitol) to Realize the Promise of Brown v. Board of Education and Defend Affirmative Action.

 

The March on Washington in May is being organized by the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and Integration, and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN). Visit http:www.bamn.com or e-mail letters@bamn.com for more information.

NATIONAL OFFICE NEWS AND VIEWS

 

National Urges Increased Involvement in Political Process

 

“Don’t Just Talk About It…Be About It! The National NAACP urges all to rededicate themselves as civil rights advocates and to become actively involved in the political process. This year, we will elect the President of the United States along with other state and local officials. It is essential for citizens to become knowledgeable about who is running and what their position is on key issues.

 

Although the NAACP is nonpartisan, it is not apolitical. If the promise of integration and equality is to become a reality for all people, pro-civil rights elected officials are needed at every level. Start now. Familiarize yourself with the issues and help educate others. Encourage your family and friends to register to vote and then, in November, take your souls and your soles to the polls.

 

 

Providence Branch Wins Redistricting Victory

 

The Providence, Rhode Island Branch of the NAACP recently won a voting victory when the First Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision and declared illegal a redistricting plan that changed the voting strength of African Americans. The Appeals Court cited possible Voting Rights Act violations, including the elimination of long-standing cross-racial alliances as a result of the redistricting. The Appeals Court also instructed the lower court to consider all relevant evidence when evaluating the legality of redistricting, rather than merely seeking to establish a numerical political process.

 

A class action lawsuit was filed under the Voting Rights Act on behalf of African Americans by the Providence Branch following a 2000 senatorial redistricting plan that reduced African American’s voting strength. The suit was prompted when a long-serving African American lost his bid for the Senate as a result of the redistricting.

 

 

“This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”                                    -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

  

YOUTH NEWS AND CUES

 

Youth Membership Meetings

 

Mark your calendars for the following dates:

 

              April 18^th                      2:30-4:30 p.m.

              May 16^th                       2:30-4:30 p.m.

              June 20^th                       2:30-4:30 p.m.

 

Meetings are held at the Capital Area District Library located at 401 S. Capitol in Lansing (corner of Capitol and Kalamazoo). Youth are urged to be on time and to bring a friend to join.

 

 

Youth Election of Officers

 

At the March 21, 2004 meeting, the following youth officers were elected and are congratulated for accepting responsibility for providing leadership in the continued struggle for equality:

 

Stefone Sims, President                         Waverly 9^th grade

Xavier Williams, Vice President             Sankofa 8^th grade

Victoria Smith, Secretary                       Sexton 10^th grade

Savaron Brown, Assistant Secretary      Pattengill 6^th grade

Zipporah Champion, Treasurer               Pam’s 5^th grade

Madison Williams, Assistant Treasurer   Sexton 10^th grade

 

The Branch may be contacted at 484-9171 to obtain further information about Lansing Branch NAACP youth activities.

  

 

Youth Fundraising

 

The Youth Unit of the Lansing Branch has designed mugs with photos of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall to mark the 50^th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. The mugs will be available for $5 each.

MEMBER ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 

¦Congratulations to Lansing Branch Treasurer Stuart Dunnings, Jr. who was featured on WLNS News Center 6 for his pioneering contributions to civil rights in the Lansing community in commemoration of African American History Month.

 

¦Congratulations to NAACP Labor Committee Chair Michael Fleming, who is also Civil Rights Chair of U.A.W. Local 602, for helping to organize the 13^th Annual Taste of Black History.  This year’s theme was “Our Season, Our Hour: The State of Women in Power” and addressed the struggles that women have faced in this country and how far they have come. The Honorable Artina Tinsley Hardman, Michigan State Representative for the 3^rd District and Chairperson of the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus, was keynote speaker.

 

¦Hats off to Executive Committee Members Melvin Coleman, Marilyn Coulter and Winston Williams of U.A.W. Local 652 for their involvement in organizing their union’s African American History Month Program. The Real People Players dramatized “Realizing A Dream” which emphasized the importance of voting with portrayals of A. Philip Randolph, Walter Reuther and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who all demonstrated effectiveness in getting African Americans to vote.

 

¦Congratulations to Political Action Committee Chair Dale Copedge who recently declared his candidacy for the Ingham County Commission 6^th District seat. We wish him well.

 

¦Thanks are once again due Sue Cater, Hill Print and Copy Center Coordinator.  Appreciation is extended this time for the fine job that she did of making the final selection of photos and organizing them into the wonderful collage to show 2003 NAACP: The Year in Review in the winter newsletter.

 

 

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