My name is Bill Lowen. I would like to take a minute of your time. I am a 39 year old white male. I was on my morning commute and I saw a sign that I found quite offensive. The sign was advertising a community party and was located off Lafayette street behind La Rez park. It read ?Bring Black Back? and had a picture of a black fist raised in the air. I am not that na?ve to not know the meaning of that. My point is that if the community wants to have a party, that is OK with me. But in the true spirit of brotherhood, everyone of any color or heritage should be invited. I would love to come to a party like that, however that sign makes it clear that I, as a white person, am not invited.
On another note, wanting to better educate myself about the NAACP, I was reading your website. Very imformative I must say and I would also like to add I sympathize with Black America?s plight for sins that have been commited against them over the last 300 years. Note, I use Black rather than African American because we are all Americans, white, black,red, yellow or whatever the color. To put another country or in this case, continent in front of American, is shameful in my humble opinion. But I digress. My point is that I read your mission and your vision and I am troubled by what I read.
Our Mission
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.
Vision Statement
The vision of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights and there is no racial hatred or racial discrimination.
Objectives
The following statement of objectives is found on the first page of the NAACP Constitution ? the principal objectives of the Association shall be:
? To ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all citizens
? To achieve equality of rights and eliminate race prejudice among the citizens of the United States
? To remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes
? To seek enactment and enforcement of federal, state, and local laws securing civil rights
? To inform the public of the adverse effects of racial discrimination and to seek its elimination
? To educate persons as to their constitutional rights and to take all lawful action to secure the exercise thereof, and to take any other lawful action in furtherance of these objectives, consistent with the NAACP's Articles of Incorporation and this Constitution.
Yet, the NAACP stands for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Your very name contradicts your mission and vision as well as your objectives. Believe me when I say racial discrimination is a two way street.
I live in an intergrated neighborhood and my kids go to an intergrated school. I think I, as well as my kids are better people for that. I have to say, I am tired of paying for the sins of a bunch of scumbag?s actions 300, 200 or even 30 years ago. People I did not even know.
I do not know what the answer is for racial harmony. I think most people, black and white are not racist. However, I have met both black and white people that have views that quite frankly,
me. Maybe changing your name to the National Association for the Advancement of ALL People would be a good start. We are all Americans. We need to come together or this great country that we all live in, will be doomed. Sincerely,
Bill Lowen
