Villagers, we didn't talk about it earlier ... but, it is worth noting that Julian Bond, 68, will not seek reelection as NAACP National Board Chairman when his term ends in February 2009. Bro. Bond served in this post for 10 years.
"This is the time for renewal. We have dynamic new leadership. The country has a new President in Barack Obama; the organization has a new CEO in Benjamin Jealous, and we'll soon have a new Chairman of the NAACP Board. The NAACP and the country are in good hands," he added.
It strikes me that the NAACP has a critical decision when they elect their next national board chair. Will they elect another 'old school' person? Or will they take this opportunity to truly turn the NAACP over to the next generation of Black leaders?
The organization made a statement with the selection of Ben Jealous as the CEO. Will they sustain the momentum of becoming relevant in the 21st century with their selection of another young leader to backfill vacancy left by Bond's retirement?
I
don't know all of the candidates ... but, I like what I'm hearing about Roslyn Brock, the current NAACP Board Vice-Chair. She seems to represent the NAACP of the future. She became the youngest person and first woman to hold serve as NAACP Board Vice-Chair. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Virginia Union University with a master's degree in health services administration from George Washington University, and a MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.I hope that the NAACP won't miss this opportunity. It would be a shame for them to take a step backwards in time.
What are your thoughts? Do you sense that the NAACP will continue to be relevant to people of African descent in America?
