President’s Message

Anthony m. harmon

For more than 109 years the NAACP has stood in the foreground in the fight for civil rights and social justice.  We have been the preeminent voice of equality, striving to build bridges of respect and understanding within our community and society.  NAACP past accomplishments speaks volume, but we have some difficult days ahead of us.  We must keep up the fight, and working together we can win.

Dr. King reminded us that we can “never be satisfied as long as the Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and the Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote”.  Our struggle continues, and when we see injustices in our society it behooves us to, as Congressman John Lewis stated, show “courage, raw courage” and stand up and speak truth to power, removing the “mask that grins and lies” (Paul Laurence Dunbar) for “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter” (MLK).

As your President, I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to serve, standing on a legacy deeply rooted in the civil rights movement, with the promise of a better America.  With the  NAACP “5 Game Changers” as our compass: education, economic stability, voting rights, health and criminal justice, we must reassess our thoughts and practices, recommit ourselves to the struggle, rejuvenate our communities, revive our faith in God and our fellow man, and reclaim our greatness.