Troy will refuse last meal – National NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Jealous

Dear Friends,

This morning, our worst fears came true. Despite widespread doubt, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles upheld the decision to execute Troy Davis this Wednesday.

Still, Troy has refused to have a "last meal." He has faith his life will be spared.

In the past, his tremendous faith has been rewarded. The last time Troy faced execution, in 2008, the warden brought in what was to be his last meal. But Troy refused to eat. Looking the prison staff in their eyes, he explained this meal would not be his last. He was vindicated when he received a last minute stay. Guards still remember this as a haunting moment, one rooted in Troy’s deep faith.

Still, there is every sign the state of Georgia intends to execute Troy this time–despite calls for them to stop by everyone from the former head of the FBI, William Sessions, to former US President Jimmy Carter.

Troy has prepared himself, and to the extent anyone can, his family, for either outcome.

As he has said many times "They can take my body but not my spirit, because I have given my spirit to God."

Thus, even as we continue to call on the Board of Pardons and Parole and Savannah District Attorney Larry Chisolm to reconsider, we must be prepared for either outcome too.

Please stand with Troy and his family. Join NAACP activists around the country in an evening of solidarity, prayer and fasting on Wednesday, September 21st.

http://action.naacp.org/StandWithTroy

Ask friends to meet up. Ask your family to fast Wednesday evening in solidarity with Troy’s family and use the dinner hour to talk. Ask your faith community, if they already have a Wednesday night fellowship planned, to make time for conversation about Troy’s scheduled execution.

However you do it, please mark the 7 o’clock hour on that evening-the time of Troy’s scheduled execution-as a moment to reflect on Troy’s experience, to offer prayers for his family and that of Officer MacPhail, and to talk about what we can each do to ensure our nation never does this again.

This is a moment to rededicate ourselves to the struggle to end the death penalty and otherwise fix our nation’s broken justice system.

To honor Troy’s courage, and rededicate ourselves to the cause of justice in America, NAACP activists are asked to fast Wednesday evening. Will you join us?

http://action.naacp.org/StandWithTroy

While moments like this test the limits of our understanding, we do know the world will remember Troy’s name, and the movement against the death penalty will grow. People who thought they supported capital punishment yesterday will realize they cannot today. Because people who thought they could stand on the sidelines will realize they no longer can.

As the scorn of the world grows and the doubts within our nation grow as well, we will increasingly realize this barbarous tradition-practiced by virtually no other western nation-is inconsistent with our self image as a fair and freedom-loving society.

No, should the execution actually occur this time, Troy’s life and the fight to save it will not have been in vain – we will move forward with more allies and an even wider consensus about the urgency of our cause.

Please join your fellow activists Wednesday for an evening of prayers, fasting, reflection, and recommitment to the struggle for justice.

http://action.naacp.org/StandWithTroy

With prayers and determination,

Ben

Benjamin Todd Jealous

President and CEO
NAACP

Breaking News: Troy Davis to be Executed on September 21st

Curmilus, We’ve just received terrible news: The state of Georgia has set Troy Davis’s execution date for midnight on September 21st, just two weeks from today. This is our justice system at its very worst, and we are alive to witness it. There is just too much doubt. Even though seven out of nine witnesses have recanted their statements, a judge labeled his own ruling as "not ironclad" and the original prosecutor has voiced reservations about Davis’s guilt, the state of Georgia is set to execute Troy anyway. Time is running out, and this is truly Troy’s last chance for life. But through the frustration and the tears, there is one thing to remain focused on: We are now Troy Davis’s only hope. And I know we won’t let him down. There are three steps you can take to help Troy: 1. Send a message of support to Troy as he fights for justice on what may be the final days of his life: http://action.naacp.org/LettersOfSupport 2. Sign the name wall, if you haven’t already. And if you have, send it to your friends and family. Each name means a more united front for justice: http://action.naacp.org/Name-Wall 3. Make sure everyone knows about this injustice. Spread the word on Facebook and Twitter (using the hashtag #TooMuchDoubt) so that Troy Davis’s story can be heard. We still have a chance to save his life, but only if people are willing to speak out against injustice. Today, the state of Georgia has declared their intention to execute a man even though the majority of the people who put him on the row now say he is innocent and many implicate one of the other witnesses as the actual killer. Now that a date has been set, we cannot relent. We must redouble our efforts. Thank you. Please act quickly and forward this message to all who believe the justice system defeats itself when it allows a man to be executed amid so much doubt. Ben Benjamin Todd Jealous President and CEO NAACP

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Troy Davis

SCHOOL BATTLE IN NORTH CAROLINA MIRRORS NATION SAYS NAACP HEAD JEALOUS – Source: Wilmington Journal

The racial resegregation of Wake, New Hanover and other county public school systems in North Carolina is the result of the regressive policies of the right-wing, says Benjamin Todd Jealous, president/CEO of the NAACP, and threaten the civil rights gains of the past half-century. (Read more)

Time to get to work

Curmilus,

Tonight, as I sat in the audience while President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address, I listened intently.

But I also watched — and what I saw was just as powerful as everything that I heard.

I witnessed the faces of senators as he discussed the state of our economy. I saw Michelle Obama’s face grow solemn with the mention of the Tucson tragedy. And in the face of the President, I saw the same strength and courage that so many Americans have displayed in these difficult times.

As he did in Tucson last week, the President made a noble effort to move our country past petty political posturing tonight. He reminded the nation that that we are one people, and that we must care for each other — our beliefs, our health, our livelihoods — as we would ourselves. He reminded us all of what it means to be American.

Congress and the White House must now take up these challenges, for the betterment of our economy and our prosperity. But they won’t get it done unless we get engaged, raise our voices and defend our children’s future.

Take a moment to tell our leaders it’s time to pull our country together by putting it back to work:

http://action.naacp.org/BackToWork

Tonight the President laid out his plan to move our country through this critical time in our history. His plans to embrace innovation, spur job creation and foster compromise are bold, attainable and much needed.

But too often, difficult economic times bring out the worst in lawmakers. Last week, the state of Texas defunded higher education programs to the tune of $1.7 billion. Meanwhile our sisters and brothers in North Carolina are fighting a previously unthinkable attempt by their state legislators to re-segregate public schools. These are powerful reminders that even our nation’s most noble victories can disappear when we are not vigilant.

The next two years will be a test. We can either act as if all our gains are just sand castles on the beach waiting for the tide to wipe them out — or we can rise up and defend them.

It’s time to get to work.

As we continue on a road toward economic recovery, we must invest not just in the infrastructure that keeps this country moving forward, but also in the human capital we rely on to lead our nation. Smart investments in education, health care and innovation will allow every American — even the least advantaged among us — to compete in tomorrow’s global marketplace and have a shot at the American dream.

These goals are attainable, but if recent history has taught us anything, it is that they will not come without a fight. Predatory lenders, the greediest Wall Street bankers and the most cynical political leaders would like nothing more than to see the status quo remain in effect.

We need you, Curmilus. Our only chance to hold on to the gains we have made and hold our leaders accountable to a vision of America long promised, but not yet realized, is to organize in our communities, participate online and raise our voices in the name of fairness, justice and opportunity.

It is up to us to embolden our leaders. We have come so far, and we will continue moving forward — as long as we have your support. Let the President, and the world, know that you support an economic recovery that is fair for all:

http://action.naacp.org/BackToWork

Now is the time to be vigilant, not silent. Let’s get to work.

Ben

Benjamin Todd Jealous
President and CEO
NAACP

Open letter: Shirley Sherrod former USDA State Director Georgia

Curmilus, Back in March, I delivered a speech to an NAACP Freedom Fund banquet in my home state of Georgia. I drew on my personal life story to urge poor people, white and black, to pull together and overcome racial divisions. We have to understand that our struggle is against poverty and against those who are blocking our path out of poverty. Unless we figure this out, I warned, our communities won’t thrive and our children won’t prosper. As you know, a Tea Party blogger named Andrew Breitbart released an intentionally deceptive, heavily edited clip from that speech to make it look as if I was delivering exactly the opposite message. Then Fox News blasted that false message across America’s airwaves, creating a firestorm that led to my ouster as the USDA State Director here in Georgia. Not long ago, I sat here in my living room in Albany, Georgia for an afternoon of deep conversation with NAACP President Benjamin Jealous. As he has done in public, Ben movingly apologized for the fact that the NAACP was initially hoodwinked by Breitbart and Fox into supporting my removal. I told him what I want to tell you. That’s behind us, and the last thing I want to see happen is for my situation to weaken support for the NAACP. Too many people confronted by racism and poverty count on the NAACP to be there for them, especially those in rural areas who often have nowhere else to turn. People ask me, "Shirley, how are you getting through all of this?" I tell them that, if they knew what I have lived through, they’d understand that these current challenges aren’t about to throw me off course. When I was 17 years old, my father was murdered by a white man in Baker County, Georgia. There were three witnesses, but the grand jury refused to indict the person responsible. I knew I had to do something in answer to my father’s death. That very night, I made a commitment that I would stay in the South and fight for change. I have lived true to that commitment for 45 years. I didn’t yield when, just months after my father was killed, they came in the middle of the night to burn a cross in front of our house with my mother, four sisters, and the baby brother my father never got to see still inside. And I’m surely not going to yield because some Tea Party agitator sat at his computer and turned everything I said upside down and inside out. I learned a lot of lessons from my parents growing up, but one of the most important ones is what my mother taught her children after our father was killed. She told us we mustn’t try to live with hate in our hearts. My mother led by example. Just 11 years after that cross-burning incident, she became the first black elected official in Baker County, and she’s still serving, still working to bring people together. You and I have to keep working as well. Change has to start with us. I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support I have received over these last few weeks. It means so much to me and my family. But you and I have to make sure that people all across the country who wage a daily struggle against poverty and racism have support networks as well. And that’s why your personal involvement in sustaining the NAACP is so critical. The NAACP confronts the virulent racism that my family and so many other families have had to endure. But it is also leading the way in breaking down the structural barriers that block so many people’s paths out of poverty. In our struggle between the "haves" and the "have-nots," they want to keep the poor divided – and we have to insist, by our words and our actions, that there is no difference between us. As we move forward together, I urge you to remember this: Life is a grindstone. But whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us. Thank you for all you are doing to challenge poverty and racism. I look forward to working and struggling right by your side. Sincerely, Shirley Sherrod

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Shirely Sherrod

An Important Victory

Curmilus, Days like today are among my favorite as president of the NAACP. For years we have worked to even out the vast disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine sentencing – a gap that unfairly hurts minority communities. Finally, Congress has shown courage and leadership to reduce this disparity. While the difference in sentencing guidelines hasn’t been fully eliminated, this marks honest progress toward our goal. Today, President Obama signed the bill into law. And today, I’m asking you to join me in thanking Congress for passing this historic piece of legislation: http://action.naacp.org/ThankYouCongress Until today, there was a sentencing disparity of 100:1 between crack cocaine and powder cocaine. But during negotiations it became clear that Congress was in agreement: This disparity has had a hugely unfair and racially discriminatory impact on minority Americans. As a result, the bill lessening the disparity to 18:1 passed by unanimous consent. The NAACP supports this bill as an important first step in completely eradicating these types of legislative injustices. However, we will continue to push for complete elimination of the disparities between crack cocaine and powder cocaine sentencing. But first, we need your help in showing our gratitude for this incredible progress. Take a moment to thank your member of Congress: http://action.naacp.org/ThankYouCongress Your work means more now than ever before. With your help, we will continue to win even more major victories like today’s. I cannot thank you enough. All the best, Ben Jealous President and CEO NAACP

Shirley Sherrod: Obama Administration Too Sensitive to the Right – Source: CBS News

The debacle over Shirley Sherrod’s ouster from the USDA reveals the White House’s misplaced sensitivity to conservative criticism, Sherrod told CBS News Chief Legal Correspondent Jan Crawford today.

"This administration is definitely too sensitive to what the right is saying," Sherrod said in an interview this morning. "I definitely think the right has actually edited speeches that have been made to try and get their point over, when they know it’s a lie." (Read more @ CBS News)

Note: It is damn shame that since the Obama Administration has take office we are experiencing ignance at it’s best. It appears that since we have a black President that some folks have set out to not only destroy his character but other blacks in position at any level. The sad part is we are allowing these folks to take our focus off of the real thing and allowing them to lead. Oh hell no, while this administration is office I am going to hold them accountable for their actions just like I have those before now. At the end of the day, I will either vote for or against the administration. What I refuse to allow is for the tea party and those who think like them to mislead me. C. Dancy II – DCN Publisher

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Tea Party

Vilsack, White House apologize to former USDA official – CNN

Washington (CNN) — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday he apologized to Shirley Sherrod for forcing her to resign based on incomplete and misleading reports of a speech she gave.

Vilsack told reporters that he alone made the decision regarding Sherrod, with no White House involvement.

He spoke to Sherrod earlier Wednesday and said he asked for her forgiveness, which she gave. Vilsack also said he offered Sherrod another job in the department, and she was taking a few days to think about it. (Read more @ CNN)

See related:

Tea Party

WHAT ARE WE TO DO ABOUT RACISM? by William Reed Columnist

Earlier this year, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People passed leadership to what they are calling “the next generation of civil and human rights activists”.    Forty-four year old Roslyn M. Brock is now Chairman of the venerable organization and 39 year-old Benjamin Todd Jealous is CEO.  So, many are wondering what was in their minds when they allowed a resolution during their conference in Kansas City, Mo. calling on Tea Party activists to "repudiate the racist element and activities" within the political movement.  Their reports alleged that the Tea Party has used racial epithets against President Barack Obama and verbally and physically abused African-American members of Congress.  The resolution’s actual language will remain secret until it is approved later this year by the national board.

Reactions to the resolution proposals are flying fast and furious.  For an organization with the legacy of the NAACP to say that the Tea Party Movement has some racist elements is like saying “institutionalized racism exits in America”.  The NAACP leaders sat themselves up for ridicule across a spectrum of mediums that allow the institutions of America’s institutionalized system to say that such an aberration “does not exist”.  Racism is alive and living across America, that there racism is present within some quarters of the Tea Party movement shouldn’t really surprise anyone.  The surprise is the NAACP attacking a popular movement instead of aligning with them. The Tea Party is a national political success.  It is a protest movement against government, and its practices, that now has millions of members whose philosophy is much more libertarian than racist.

The Tea Party has fundraising apparatus that could benefit the NAACP.  Roslyn Brock and Ben Jealous are at its helm because the NAACP is losing its membership base and needs more attention among younger and upwardly-mobile African-Americans, for whom the civil rights movement is more a chapter in a history text than a searing memory.  Brock’s goal is “to ensure that the policies, programs and politics of the NAACP are relevant to get young people involved".  Surely, pursuits they “get involved” should be positive as opposed to negative.

Political parties help define potential voters’ beliefs and positions on important issues and use their strength in numbers to get candidates who share those views elected into office.  The momentum that is fueling the Tea Party is based on similar frustrations with ineffective government that Blacks have.  Black or White, Obama, or a Democratic-led Congress, positive changes are needed.  It’s not just racism that cause millions of Americans to hold the President’s and Members of Congress’ job performances in low esteem.

Ms. Brock and Mr. Jealous may want to join with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich in what he could be “a relevant moment” in American politics.  Instead of going against the tide, the NAACP may want to go with it.  An early Tea Party leader, Gingrich wants to help “draw both organizations toward finding solutions to America’s most pressing problems”.  Gingrich wants local level leaders of the Tea Party to approach the local chapters of the NAACP with an open invitation to co-host town hall meetings on the subject of “America’s future”.  Why not?  Such an idea could be to the betterment of all.  For an organization that has had hard times, such combined agenda, activities and events can help generate membership for each at the grassroots level and it could be the beginning real and meaningful dialogues on taxes, job creation, education and other issues that are important in the real life space that both communities occupy.

The NAACP’s ire with the Tea Partyers may stem from the rally Glenn Beck’s Tea Party plans on the same day and same site Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech nearly 50 years ago.   After being bum rushed by Beck with his "Restoring Honor" event Aug. 28th at the Lincoln Memorial, the NAACP and civil rights groups have to hold their events at the unfinished MLK monument.

(William Reed is available for speaking engagements via BaileyGroup.org)

The Damn Tea Party Strikes Again, Lies On A Black Woman USDA Employee That Got Her Fired But Look At This Touching Video

The video of Shirley Sherrod released by Andrew Brietbart’s Big Government Blog on July 19 didn’t tell the full story. It was selectively edited to cast her in a negative light. Here is the video, shot by the local NAACP unit that hosted Ms. Sherrod. Watch the video, and judge for yourself. Read the NAACP Statement. (Watch The Video In Full)

Note: This is one of the most touching and powerful speeches that I have ever heard. For a woman who lost her dad to racism and she herself fought in the struggle, she is very compassionate for all people. She said it not I. Damn many folks would be so angry today after all that she has gone through. It is a damn shame that these ignant folks are allowed to lie on black folks and get away with it. C. Dancy II – DCN Publisher

See related:

Tea Party

Letter to Abe Lincoln From the Coloreds – Ignant Column

In every one of the dozens of interviews that I have done regarding the anti-Tea Party resolution passed by the NAACP I have brought up the absurdity of a group that calls blacks “Colored People” hurling charges of racism. Whats more, each interviewer has defended that phrase and expressed surprise that I would consider that phrase to be racist! (Read more @ Politi Fi News)

Note: It is one thing to make comments but to sign someone else’s name to them is not only ignant but criminal in my opinion. C. Dancy II – DCN Publisher

See related:

Tea Party

 

 

NAACP National President Ben Jealous on CBS Face the Nation

NAACP This morning while on CBS Face the Nation with NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous, Tea Party leader David Webb announced that Mark Williams and his entire Tea Party Express have been expelled from the National Tea Party Federation. This shows that the Tea Party can indeed police itself from within when it wants to, …and it’s no coincidence that it comes on the heels of support from more than 20,000 NAACP Americans who pledge to stop hate. Let’s keep this going – spread the word and continue to pressure the Tea Party to remove the racist elements within its organization. (Read more @ NAACP)

NAACP – Why we passed our Tea Party resolution – Source: CNN

(CNN) — This week at the NAACP annual convention, we passed over 75 resolutions. They addressed critical issues from education equity, to fixing our broken criminal justice and immigration systems, to our top priority: jobs, jobs, jobs. (Read more @ CNN)

The Local Tar River Tea Party Responds To The NAACP Stance On The Tea Party

If the following message from Mike Armstrong is true, how in the hell do you consider the name of the tea party? If they want to be something other than the tea party they should simply change their name.

Oh but they want the name but they are different from the other tea partiers.

Now this is too damn funny!! LMBAO

C. Dancy II – DCN Publisher
Life Fully Paid Member NAACP

From: andreknight

Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:42:31 +0000

To: Michael Armstrong

ReplyTo: andreknight

Subject: Re: NAACP accusations

We agree and support our President and this Great Organization!

Sent from my U.S. Cellular BlackBerry® smartphone

---

From: "Michael Armstrong”

Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:00:31 -0400

To: Andre Knight

Subject: Fw: NAACP accusations

Andre Knight,

 

     The email below was sent to members of the Tar River Tea Party by one of our leaders. I hope that you will read and ponder it’s message. The real strength of our movement is that … we have no national headquarters … we have no national leaders / spokesmen and are functioning very well.

      Can you imagine how long we would last if a neo-con, a talk-show celebrity or a political party was to attempt to lead us. We can agree on common issues (debt, borrowing, taxes, spending, etc) and take it from there. Some groups will align politically while others remain independent. That’s OK.

     The actions by the national NAACP are disappointing and hopefully, not a reflection of the individual chapters.

 

                                              Mike Armstrong

   

 

Dear Members,

The recent accusations by the NAACP have everyone racing to formulate a response.  There are calls for a nationally concerted action by the Tea Party groups to hold reconciliation meetings and town halls to discuss this issue.  For what???  To focus and perpetuate a false stigma?  To drive the tea parties into a single nationally controlled organization? To force the tea parties away from their mission to restore good government?  To wastefully expend the resources, time, and energies of the millions of Americans asking for nothing more than Constitutional government and fiscal responsibility?  The answer is YES to all of these questions.  I have already received an email from a national tea party organization asking if we thought there should be these reconciliation meetings and forums and that if the NATIONAL LEADERSHIP decided to do such would we as a local group follow suit.  The answers are a resounding NO and NO!

First and foremost, the accusations of the NAACP do not warrant a single response nor the wasting of time by our organization and members.  The accusations are untrue and thus there is no obligation for us to prove otherwise.  To take this issue on, is to give legitimacy to the accuser and to sap the energy of the organization.  We all know from Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals that a prime tactic is to accuse the opponent of being what you yourself are and of doing what you yourself do. This is a very telling statement about the NAACP.   Secondly, the Tar River Tea Party is not part of some contrived national group.  We are an independent grass roots organization and will remain as such.  We do not need a national leader to instruct us in what is best for us as individuals or as a community, nor do we need them taking us off on tangents while our attention needs to be focused on local, state, and national issues.  As such we will not blindly follow suit in follies like this.

I ask that you focus your energies on the real issues of restoring sound Constitutional government on all levels, demanding fiscal responsibility of our elected officials, and restoring common sense to all aspects of government.

President Barack Obama Haters, “Let It Go!!”

Yes he is a very intelligent man. I found him on the internet and was following him when he was running for the Senate and was on his mailing list at that time. I had no idea he would one day become my President and especially so soon. This is a prime example that it does not matter where a black man goes to school, live a good life and strive to do the right thing, he still don’t get the respect that he truly deserves. But as long as the black man recognizes that it is what it is and can continue to move forward and not backwards it is well with our soul.

You say, "He did better than most politicians in explaining exactly what he wanted to do if elected. The problem is that people in general don’t know what they are voting for." We all should know that many people vote because it is the right thing to do. Many vote because of influence from others, family, friends, organizations, tv and/or whatever.

But you see this is nothing new. I have always asked people to learn about the candidate and not just take my word. Now if it is somebody I truly trust in then I will sometimes take their word especially if time does not allow me to do some research.

While the NAACP is devoted towards “equality”, I am still saddened that an organization has become in some cases “get whitey, its his fault”.

Oh hell no, I beg the difference when it comes to the NAACP educating people about what a candidate stands for. They are always having candidates forum so not going to let that be the gospel. I have been involved in the education process on the local and state level but have been connected with many branches across the nation and the national. Literature goes out almost daily about what is going on all around us and people who read the information have the opportunity to read and make an informed decision for themselves.

No I do not know and do not care about how many states will sue over the healthcare bill. Some folks do not want to see anything that they feel black folks will benefit from.

I do want to add that "White Republicans" who are serving us in Washington do not support our President. They probably never will and it is my opinion they do not want to hear anything that our President has to say simply because he is black. Having to report to a black man is something that some folks will never be able to live with. Hell none of us agree with everything that everybody does even husbands/wives/children and etc. but damn when one does something that we can appreciate then we ought to celebrate that moment. I have not seen this with "whitey" as you so clearly stated who have issues with our President. Hell I had issues with many Presidents before our President now but I be damn if I disrespected them as many "whiteys" have done since our President has been "ELECTED" to office.

I read literature and receive literature from some white school classmates and some others who are constantly sending out mess about our President. One white guy has a damn video that he wanted to talk about that supposedly shows our President saying he was not born in America. Well damn if it is on video and an be proven then this is just totally ignant on this white brothers behalf because we all know that our President would not be in office.

When in the hell will they "whitey" as you so clearly stated let it go. Damn let it go until the next election and the people will speak again just like they did during the last Presidential Election. But you see some folks just don’t get it.

Hell all I have to say to anyone who have a problem with our President, vote against him during the next election. This is how I do and the NAACP as well.

The above is my response to a comment on my blog related to an article in the Washington Post, “What the NAACP is really asking on racism within the Tea Party?”

Curmilus Butch Dancy II
DCN Publisher
A Grassroots Effective Community Activist
Life Fully Paid Member NAACP