MS NAACP September 2018 Newsletter
We stand on the side of justice.
Mississippi State Conference Statement in Response to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety Announcement Regarding Recent National Protests of Police Brutality
Jackson, Mississippi (September 21, 2018)– We are deeply disappointed by the recent statements and endorsements released by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Governor Phil Bryant regarding the inaccurate assessment of the national protest around police brutality.
Register today for the November 2018 midterm election!
The MS NAACP is urging eligible voters everywhere to make their voices heard by participating in the 2018 elections. If you or any persons you know are not registered to vote, it’s not too late to register! The deadline to register is October 9. All eligible voters have exactly 30 days before the November 2018 election to submit completed voter registration applications to their local Circuit Clerks.
Visit your local Circuit Clerk’s office to register, or click the link below to learn more about voter eligibility and the voting process.
Amid the discourse surrounding the state of Mississippi’s proposed Medicaid work requirement, the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program (MHAP) and Mississippi Center for Justice (MCJ) held a press event at the Mississippi State Capitol on Wednesday, September 12, 2018, to emphasize the importance of unrestricted Medicaid for the thousands of Mississippians who depend on it.
MS NAACP Executive Director, Dr. Corey Wiggins, was among the number of advocates and providers who stood on the 2nd – floor rotunda steps to make a resounding call to action for lawmakers to rethink the recently submitted request for work requirements.
“We believe that having access to health insurance and health care is a critical civil right,” said Dr. Wiggins. “We stand today with our partners in opposition of the proposed work requirement that would significantly and disproportionately affect African-Americans and other people of color in communities across our state.”
Mark your calendars for the Mississippi State Conference NAACP’s 73rd Annual State Convention and Policy Institute in Bay St. Louis, MS, November 8-10, 2018!
We have an exciting slate of speakers for the year’s event including:
Thursday, November 8 | Community Mass Meeting
Pastor, Charity Missionary Baptist Church, North Charleston, SC
Membership Luncheon
President of the California Hawaii NAACP and NAACP Board Member
Saturday, November 10 | Labor Luncheon
Vice President of CWA District 6
Saturday, November 10 | Freedom Fund Banquet
William S. Tod Professor of Religion and African-American Studies, Princeton Universit
Registration is open. Call the state conference office to learn more 601.353.8452.
The MS NAACP Housing and Economic committees teamed up this month to launch an initiative called 100 Days of Kwanzaa. By design, the initiative provides vital information on the process of becoming a homeowner, and it also provides a generous house-warming gift to those individuals and families that close on a home between September 1 and December 25.
Anner Cunningham, Clay County NAACP branch member and MS NAACP Economic Committee chair said of the initiative, “I feel it’s a nice gesture and an added motivation to provide a housewarming gift to celebrate what could possibly be a family’s largest asset and wealth builder.”
She added, “The buying process can be overwhelming, and a small token at the end of the finish line is always welcoming.”
Click here for more information about the 100 Days of Kwanzaa.
Each year, the National NAACP awards its highest honor, the Thalheimer Award, to branches and state area conferences for outstanding work in the implementation of the Association’s strategic priorities and goals as mandated by the National Board of Directors. The areas include building membership, enhancing advocacy, rebuilding legal capacity, criminal justice, civil rights compliance, civic engagement and enforcement by governmental and non-governmental entities, economic empowerment, educational equity, health advocacy, and political empowerment.
This year, at the 2018 National NAACP Convention in San Antonio, TX, the MS NAACP received two Thalheimer Awards—one in the area of Publication and the other in the area of Programs. Then- Mississippi State Conference NAACP, Charles Hampton, accepted the honor, presented by National President and CEO Derrick Johnson and National Board President Leon Russell.
Quest Whalen
The summer of 2018 was one well spent for Quest Whalen, a student at Tuskegee University and a Clinton, MS Youth & College Division member. Whalen served as an intern in the Mississippi State Conference office in Jackson, MS, and experienced what it was like to serve on the front lines of the legal and economic fights for justice.
As a mathematics major at Tuskegee and a budding social justice advocate, Whalen says she enjoyed having the opportunity to fuse together her two passions, and she was thrilled to be able to learn even more about the work of NAACP.
Upon completing her internship, she provided reflections that she hopes other young people will access and be inspired by.
Gearing Up for ACT-SO 2019
The Afro-Academic Cultural Technological Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) is preparing for the 2018-2019 competition year. For more than forty years, the ACT-SO program has afforded students of African descent the opportunity to showcase their skills and talents in STEM, Humanities, Performing and Visual Arts, Business, and other scholastic and cultural arenas. The MS NAACP is excited for the 2019 competition in Detroit, MI!
About the MS NAACP ACT-SO Program
With the help of local volunteer instructors and mentors, students from both public and private schools can develop projects in the competition categories and have the opportunity to advance from local to national competitions. Students from across the state have competed and won each year. Mississippi’s national winners have come from many different schools in the state, including Forest Hill, Jefferson-Davis, Jim Hill, Madison, Murrah, and South Pike.
Meetings & Events
Mark your calendars for the upcoming Mississippi State Conference NAACP events. Join us to receive valuable training and discuss the future of NAACP!
October 20
1334 Old Hwy 49, Gulfport, MS, 39577
November 8-10
Bay St. Louis, MS
