A rchive Date
[ 07-07-2002 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ U.S ]
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[http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/editorial/outlook/1483925
NAACP's future lies in new generation
By ROLAND S. MARTIN
July 5, 2002, 9:57PM
When you think of the civil rights movement, how often does it dawn on you that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, Julian Bond, Andrew Young, Jesse Jackson and others were, in the beginning, 20-something men challenging the status quo in America?
Their age notwithstanding, they were able to align themselves with a vibrant and passionate group of young men and women from across the country to change the course of history, and tear down a significant racial divide that dated back centuries in a country that prides itself on freedom, albeit for far too long, freedom for whites only.
The issues they faced down are no longer visible: There are no whites-only water fountains, lunch counters that wouldn't serve African-Americans and widespread lynchings. Yet the quest for civil rights for Americans of all ethnic backgrounds has yet to be fully realized. The widening gap in health care, racial profiling and an unequal education system are a few such examples.
To continue the fight, black America will have to rely on another generation of talented and smart men and women with a zeal to make this world a better place for their children. But if they are to succeed, those voices must be nurtured, trained and educated by the present generation, lest we lose the momentum. And if this mission is to be a success, it will have to come from the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization - the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
The tenure of Kweisi Mfume as president and chief executive officer has continued the focus started by his predecessor, Benjamin Chavis. Although Chavis' brief reign was sullied because of sexual misconduct allegations and financial improprieties, it must not be lost that it was his drive that radically changed the mind-set of some in the venerable organization who were more comfortable sticking the "young folks" in a room down the hall, as opposed to allowing them in the boardroom.
A stroll throughout the cavernous halls of the George R. Brown Convention Center this week will reveal a number of meetings and activities of the NAACP's youth division, as well as the honors bestowed on some of our African-American stars participating in the 25th Academic, Cultural, Technological, Scientific Olympics competition, known as ACT-SO. These outreach efforts are to be commended, but the NAACP must do more.
The day is fast approaching where today's black leaders will have to pass the torch. Yet we are finding two things: There is not a strong contingent ready to assume the mantle or some don't want to make way for the new generation.
In order for the NAACP's agenda to advance to the next level, it will require a new thought process, new energy and new ideas. The strategies and lessons of the past are valuable, but they must not be seen as the only way to address present day issues.
We also must not find ourselves getting hung up on whether today's generation listens to hip-hop music or wear braids in their hair. Even Martin Luther King was called a radical by "traditional" black leaders such as NAACP head Roy Wilkins. Yet if King had a voice and a place at the table, surely today's youths deserves the same respect.
There is no organization in America - not one - that can take credit for forcing America to live up to its ideals of freedom, justice and equality as the NAACP has. To ensure its future viability and power, the organization must bear the responsibility of being the breeding ground for tomorrow's black mayors, county commissioners, member of Congress, and, God willing, president of the United States.
Martin, a native Houstonian now living in Dallas, is author of Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America. Readers can reach him at www.rolandsmartin.com
 World Fact Book (CIA)]
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