The NAACP Responds To BlackPerespective.net On Dunbar Village

April 7th, 2008

Okay, via my phone message Friday to Chairman Bond that I left with Mrs. Brice in his office; I got a call today from National Communications Director Richard McIntyre, who I referenced in the call.

He wanted to verify my email address so he could send my the NAACPs statement about the email campaign, though I figured out half way through the convo that it was going to be the same one that’s been on the website for a week, and that’s largely been debunked (and that’s going to lend itself to a point I’m going to make later.)

NAACP Logo

First, Villager and SheCodes are of the opinion that the campaign is over, they got what they want out it. I don’t know if there is group consensus on this or an official “its over position” that’s been discussed or not, but here’s my opinion, and one I shared with Mr. McIntyre.

First I’ll report that he took a more conciliatory tone this afternoon then he did on the podcast Thursday night. He says he’s frustrated over people not hearing and understanding where they’re coming from. He actually said that the WPB branch holding the press conference was “wrong”. I don’t recall him saying that previously, unless I missed it under all of his defensiveness.

Here are the problems I still have. For one, he maintains his “so be it” posture regarding the alleged rapists going free. I put this issue to him directly. In response to him saying he doesn’t understand what people want them to do; I told him part of it is a problem of attitude, as when asked about his position on the defendants getting bail that “you said so be it”. His response still today, “that’s right”.

He says Maude Ford Lee of the West Palm Beach branch was reprimanded. That’s great, as before, if I remember right, I think he said that the branch violated procedure and was counseled on it; but I don’t think it was described as a reprimand. But why doesn’t Mrs. Lee retract her words and actions? So, I still have a problem with her. She stills the WPB president, and she thinks rapists being locked up is “unconscionable”. I have to oppose an organization that is lead by such a person.

He made the same point to me that Witcha Branch President, and fellow AfroSpear member Kevin Myles made a week ago, which is that they don’t provide legal representation; which is understood and beside the point. As I noted to Mr. Myles, nobody asked the NAACP to be the Dunbar Village victims lawyers, but instead of pretty well ignoring the issue, it could have used it’s advocacy powers, notoriety, and resources to advocated on behalf of equal protection under the law for poor people living in Dunbar Village who are often neglected by authorities; rather then there first big splash on this issue being on behalf of the defendants. And even if they are now disavowing the press conference and stance of freeing the victims, why not take a positive and active position to ADVOCATE (not do legal work) on behalf of Dunbar Village?

In response to your question Mr. McIntyre that “I don’t know what people want us to do”, this is it! Stand up for little people instead of doing free PR work for Michael Vick. Mr. McIntyre mentioned the Vick thing and about local branches having “autonomy” (another thing already explained by Mr. Myles) and that being a play by the local Alanta Branch because Vick is such a big part of the Atlanta community; which underlines my point. The NAACP can come out for rich people in the community; but it’s not in their scope to come out for the the nobody’s in the gutter.

Again the issue is how these incidents of coming out for likely criminals, but then saying “we don’t do legal work” when we ask you to come out for victims; is emblematic of the NAACP’s apparent priorities. Though you don’t do legal work for the criminals, you still advocate for them. Why do you all so hardily resist advocating for victims?

And here is why I don’t think the campaign should end. They still don’t get it!

At least on my part, I can’t speak for the whole campaign; I’m tired of top Negroes defending criminals, always making excuses for somebody just because they’re Black, as if Black folks are pro-crime. In conjunction, I’m tired of the entire Black political and social activist apparatus that always gets to be on t.v., always glossing over the issue of victimization of Black people by our own. We need both a change of some of the developing mentalities and a foot up the ass of some folks in our communities.

If the NAACP doesn’t want to do that, then I wish they’d just come out and say so; but stop this halfway hedging B.S.

Just come out and say that you’re not concerned about blacks victimizing other blacks and destroying our communities from the inside, and that you don’t care about addressing the psychological maladies that are producing Dunbar Village type sociopaths. Just straight forwards let us know that you’re just here to complain about the white man (the same white man that’s funding you), and that’s it.

Defending Black people to the hilt no matter what they do, no matter right or wrong; I guarantee you is not what W.E.B. Dubois had in mind; but if that’s where you guys want to go with the organization, just admit it, and we can ignore you and leave you alone.

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4 Responses to “The NAACP Responds To BlackPerespective.net On Dunbar Village”

  1. Villager on April 8th, 2008 8:44 am | link

    Yobachi, you demonstrate the importance of taking time to make phone calls in addition to our online activism. Relationships is the key to making positive change in organizations such as the NAACP. McIntyre is a good relationship for you to continue to develop over time.

    Anyhow, your post is excellent…

    peace, Villager

  2. D. Yobachi Boswell on April 8th, 2008 1:14 pm | link

    You’re right Villager, I’m going to continue to try and engage Mr. McIntyre over time.

  3. S. Justice on April 8th, 2008 5:20 pm | link

    Thanks for not letting any of this go. I feel that for too long we make excuses for those in our community that contribute nothing but negative behavior. I don’t believe it’s neither liberal nor conservative to want to lock up criminals but common sense. The N.A.A.C.P. needs to get with that and stop defending the indefensible.

  4. D. Yobachi Boswell on April 8th, 2008 7:37 pm | link

    I don’t think it is, or at least it should be liberal or conservative either; it’s the moral position. It’s the self-preservation position. It’s the self-love position. This sort of excuse making to no end is one major place where I seperate from the modern “progressive”/democratic/liberal movement.

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  • D. Yobachi Boswell

  • Yobachi Boswell is creator and publisher of BlackPerspecitve.net. I’m a writer, activist and political watcher based in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve also been know to do some spoken word and MCing in my day.

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