NAACP: Office Debate turns Political

My buddy Greg Giddens of Davidson County, NC sent this to me today in an email. It was to help settle a dispute (with other co-workers) on the relative nature of the NAACP in respect to the black community. I totally share his sentiment and he it expressed it much better than I could have.

Let me finish what I was saying about the NAACP and other roundtable issues we were discussing. In my opinion, the NAACP is nothing but an extension of the Democratic Party and negatively labels any blacks that don't share their political view. Julian Bond said blacks that don't share the NAACP's view are "puppets" and members of the Republican Party are the puppet masters. The NAACP during the height of the civil rights movement, was an effective and relevant organization. Today they have a strictly political agenda that I don't agree with. I had an incident happen to me a few years ago that was a clear case of racial profiling (I'll tell you about it another time). I contacted them to see what I could do about it or if there was something they could do to help me. I got no help from them. If I experienced some sort of racial discrimination right now, I might contact them, but I would probably just consult an attorney. I don't feel that the NAACP is helping us as a people like they used to and they aren't as relevant.

When Bill Cosby recently spoke the absolute truth about too many blacks using improper English and being more worried about buying their kids $200 sneakers than their education and black males demeaning their mates and blaming the White man for all of his problems, the NAACP and many other black groups distanced themselves from Cosby and what he said. If these groups truly are for the advancement of blacks, then they should have supported Cosby 100% and really should have been voicing this message years ago. To emphasize my point that the NAACP and other groups that supposedly represent our interests are not focusing on what they should, every black individual I've seen comment on it said that Cosby was absolutely right and his statements were long overdue.

There is a stigma attached to blacks who are Republican that they are somehow "out of touch with their culture and history" or somehow less black. Charles Barkley is a Republican -- he grew up poor in Leeds, Alabama (the heart of the South). Is he less black? Comedian Sheryl Underwood is a Republican. Is she less black? Don King supports George Bush. Is he less black? Colin Powell is the Secretary of State and Condaleeza Rice is the National Security Advisor. Rod Paige is the Secretary of Education. George Bush appointed them. Did you see blacks in such high profile positions in the Clinton Administration? More and more blacks feel like the Democratic Party is taking them for granted and they are. To say the Republicans don't offer opportunities for minorities is dead wrong. These folks I just mentioned wouldn't be Republicans or affiliated with the party if they felt that way. James Meredith worked for Jesse Helms on one of his re-election campaigns. Can you say Mr. Meredith -- the first black to be admitted to the University of Mississippi is less black?

I've said all of that to say this -- we as black people aren't born Democrats. We are born with our own minds and as we grow and develop, we recognize what our values and views are and "hopefully" form our own opinions on the issues. At that point, we should investigate both sides and determine which side is more representative of our views and beliefs. Automatically labeling ourselves Democrats or allowing society to label us as Democrats is detrimental to us as a people. If the Democratic party knows it has 90% of the black vote in the bag, what is their motivation to truly address our needs? Anytime you get anything without working hard or not at all for it, you get complacent and take what you are getting and the source for granted. There are always two sides to every story, I'm just hoping that more blacks will take an educated look at what the Republican Party has to offer and what it stands for before they categorically dismiss it.

Thanks Greg.