Political Gumbo: NAACP Needs to Get it Together

Saying it the best way I know how without getting into the colorful language.

The local NAACP needs to get its act together.

Late last month Brandon Lamar beat Ron Matthews in the race to lead the organization.

As first told by Local News Pasadena, the election is being investigated by the national branch of the NAACP due to potential violations of the group’s bylaws.

However, the complaint against said campaign violations came from within the Pasadena branch.

That’s like one of those horror films where somebody is terrorizing the babysitter on the phone and the police trace the calls and scream, “it’s coming from inside the house.”

Yes, there’s a problem in the house, and that’s a shame.

I won’t get into the particulars of the complaint here, it’s been well-documented.

The point is the NAACP needs to get back to its bylaws and its mission.

The group should not be splintered and the incoming president and executive committee must do the hard work of listening and working to unify the group.

The NAACP must be about facilitating dialogue and standing firm for equality and demanding opportunity.

Are we seeing that locally?

Did we hear the group’s voice during discussions that led to impactful changes of the City’s Charter?

Hard to do that if there questions about election integrity.

Even after the election, yes, there are bows to take and hands to shake, but ask the Mayor or any City Councilmember how long the honeymoon lasts.

Ask former presidents.

Joe Brown walked a proverbial tightrope calling for peace, and transparency in the aftermath of the fatal officer involved shooting of Kendrec McDade.

Brown also maintained a presence at City Council meetings.

Gary Moody picked up the mantle and took part in the lawsuit that led to the release of the document after the City changed its position and opposed the police union’s efforts to keep the report sealed.

Del Yarbrough pushed not just for educational opportunities, but also changes to the police department’s body worn camera policy after the policy was enacted without public hearings.

This group above all others must stand unified at a time when major corporations and now some colleges have announced they would roll back diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

An aside, before anybody starts, spare me with the why is there a group advocating for the advancement of just Black people.

Any attempt to peacefully elevate oppressed people to the same level as the majority is not racist. It is compassionate.

In 2023, 49.7% of Black children lived with one parent and 73% of African American children were born to unwed mothers.

We need a Big Brothers program for young Black men.

That alone should be a wake-up call not just to Lamar and Matthews, but to the entire group.

The City can always use more leadership on local hiring.

Big jobs, big money, but how much of that is going into local pockets?

I don’t know how the probe into the investigation will turn out, however whoever the next president and the executive committee are, they must care about the NAACP and place a hard target focus on the job.

Not the prestige, not what comes next.

Worry about the NAACP.

Don’t just worry about it, take care of it.

Period, end of sentence.

It’s going to take a unified effort to accomplish the work that needs to be done.

Unify the group. Learn the bylaws and follow them.

No more excuses.