Fall 2010

The fall semester was a time for the Northern Kentucky University College chapter to be able to implement new programs that benefited our fellow students and in our community. Our first program was entitled "Marketing Yourself." It's important especially as a student to be able to know what your values are and what perception do others perceive from you. This year we hosted our own health conference to give awareness to health issues that we may face now or in our future. We ended the year by providing toys and clothes to a family of five that was a need. Stay tuned to see what's in store for 2011!

Fall 2010 We're Back Again

We're saying farewell to the long summer days and hot days at the beach. Time to strap up the backpacks and laptops and get back into the school season. The NKU NAACP was already on NKU's campus scene early being mentors for the ROCKS 2010-2011 Freshman class. We're still on that same New Age Activism boat, that sailed us onto many shores of success. We put a remixed spin on the Freedom Fund Banquet and turned it into a Mixer and Award Ceremony. We networked and gained ground for this upcoming 2010-2011, and best believe we won't fall short of greatness. Stay on the lookout for our Health conference, Financial Education, and many other education forums we will offer.

Wrapping up the Year

We're wrapping up another semester here at Northern Kentucky University. After we stop pulling our hair and stressing over final exams, we'll take the time to reflect on the past couple of months. Since the last post, the NAACP NKU College Chapter has been put in many situations that were outside of our comfort zone, but we were able to adjust and take what we needed to help us become a better chapter. We had the opportunity to attend a NAACP Kentucky State Conference. From this event we took note of two very important factors, that there are alot of our Elders that hold higher ranking, and there are very few youth leaders. So what do you do when you are in a room where you are subtly told by the Eldest that you don't necessarily know what your doing, but then from the youth standpoint you are doing your best? What do you do when you are told to make mountains out of molehills and no one hands you a shovel or a set of instructions? We were able to take that moment and use it to always remember that at the end of the day you will not impress everyone. But being apart of the NAACP is not a fashion show, or some type of nascar race. It is a human rights organization, where your first priority is to do for the people, because if you were ever down and out you would want somebody to help you. Did we not do that when we educated the people on why singing every word of Lift Every Voice and Sing sets your mind, heart and soul free? Did we not do that when we reminded ones of the struggles of the past and present and how we have to strive to carry the torch for the future? Or did we not do that when we helped a family that didn't look like us, and who didn't have as many material things as us, have a good and merry season? To some those things look superficial, but take a look at every member and see that we're not all scholars, mentors, and leaders that you will need to follow in the future. At the beginning of the year when we took our oath to live up to doing New Age Activisim for A Common Purpose, we didn't let up. And we're not going to, because we are not of the cowarding breed. So stay up, stay focus, and watch us continue to empower and lift the people in this next following year.

At The End of Our Day

One of the most annoying phrases in the English language is "at the end of the day." Why? In all actuality at the end of the day one should be able to take something away from it. What was the theme or lesson for the day? Did you meet or see anyone or anything interesting? Were you bale to change someone's life today? A few weeks ago NKU's NAACP chapter did a theatrical reinactment of certain events that shaped NAACP's history. Do you know how NAACP began? Do you know what motivated Rosa Parks to sit on the bus? Can you name some of Julian Bond's accomplishments? Does the name Fannie Lou Hammer ring a bell? What's the irony in the Jena Six case? It was those events and many activists that have helped shaped our day. So maybe you are not going to spend everyday stopping injustices but please know that the things you do will reap certain benefits and or consequences in the future. Even better is if you can tell ones that back in "our day" we able to appreciate the past, make the present a present and strived to make a strong impact on the future.

Has racism come to pass?

With the influx of many races, cultures, and different languages spoken in America, it would only be right to assume that America is putting their best foot forward in diversifying the country. Yet we subtly see things in the media and even in the face of our current president that might cause one to believe there is still a lot of work to be done.



I had a woman of a caucasian persuasion tell me she felt sorry for me because I went to a majority "white" schools while growing up. Did she feel that this hindered my learning process? Did she feel this traumatized me? She went on to tell me how her children at a young age didn't feel comfortable when there was not enough "brown" people around. She even went on to tell me how she had made friends with an older black woman and helped her to try to ease out of the mindset that she still wasn't accepted in the world because of her skin color. The black woman had told her that she had seen some horrid things in life that resulted from hatred of race but made sure that even now she stayed up to par since she had on this eternal brown suit.



Has things changed? Those of us wearing "brown suits" do we feel as if we have to put an extra effort into impressing those not of our color. Are we able to show our grandparents that maybe times aren't as bad as the civil rights era. Or maybe it's a reason why those memories stay forever in their mind. Maybe they are there to help prepare us of a futuristic Jim Crow Era.

New Age Activism

As young people is there even a need for standing up for your rights? Does it make sense to have peaceful rallies? Petitions? Make t-shirts for what we stand for? In today's society we see examples of outbursts (during Obama's speech and VMA's), why does it even make sense to organize a group of people to go show your support for what you stand for. The NAACP is encouraging youth to "remix" their activities and spirit towards active service in the community. They remind us that the past had a lot of trials and tribulations that were overcome but end the end it is the youth that hold the power to stop the woes of tomorrow. Today in University Suites Classroom at 6pm @NKU we're having an introduction to our NAACP chapter. Come have an open mind and see what we're about. See if maybe in this new age of activism you can have a part.

NAACP 100th Convention

Our 2nd Vice- President Desha Elliott was able to attend the convention. The purpose of the annual convention of the Association is to establish policies and programs of action for the ensuing year. These policies and programs are voted on by officers from the many units. No action should be taken if it hasn't been favorably voted on. The resolutions needed to be sent to the National Office by May 1st, annually and then at the convention's legislative sessions are they discussed and reviewed.

Even though Region 3 (the organization is split into 7 regions nationally) as a whole didn't send in many resolutions here are a few that I found interesting and may hit close to home:

• Jefferson City branch made us aware of the fact that the United States of America shamefully leads the world in the number of children (2400) that are imprisoned for life without possibility if parole for crimes committed as juveniles. Nationwide Black youth receive life without parole ten times more often than White youth, Hispanic youth receiving that sentence multiple more times than whites, with nearly 60% of those juvenile receiving life without parole neither having adult criminal records nor juvenile adjudication; and where one quarter of the youth receiving life without parole were convicted in crimes where another participant committed the felonious assault. As many as forty two states sentence minors to life without parole. It is recognized that adolescent brain development isn't complete for comprehensive reasoning, consequence consideration and mature impulse control and children have an extraordinary capacity of rehabilitation. The branch further reasons that if we as a society see that juveniles and adults are different, that they lack judgement and are able to change- how can you justify locking up youth forever? They asked that all units and members educate themselves on their states juvenile penal code and call upon their legislatures to abolish juvenile life without parole sentences for crimes.
• Cincinnati Branch is reminding us of the elevating rate of homicides, especially how they affect the black communities. Nationwide community groups have came up with a reward system in cooperation with law enforcement and media to provide useful information. Reward programs protect cooperating individuals who want a safe community, but who do not want to be labeled as informants or snitches. They want the NAACP to take a collective stand against violent crime by encouraging more communities to create reward programs, in attempt to bring justice to the families who have lost their loved ones to violence all across the nation.
• Baltimore City Branch wants the NAACP to declare a state of emergency where it relates to childhood obesity
• California State Conference makes us aware that 43% of US employers conduct credit checks on job applicants and that their is no correlation between credit history and job performance. They want the NAACP to oppose the use of credit reports because that is a form of economic discrimination and that the Association will partner with allied organizations to conduct educational forums as well as work through local, State, and Federal legislative processes to make sure that such practices are prohibited.

All these resolutions and many more are ones that we should really take the time to research and take action on.