GEORGE W. CROCKETT COMMUNITY LAW SCHOOL WEEK 1 LINE UP
The Detroit Branch NAACP, led by its Legal Redress Committee, will host its annual George W. Crockett, Jr. Community Law School. The community law school is free, open to the public and will be held the first four Saturdays in October. The purpose of the community law school is to provide a basic knowledge of the legal system so attendees will be empowered. The first session features U.S. District Attorney of Eastern Michigan Dawn Ison; Chief Justice of the 36th District Court William McConico; Attorneys Ayanna Alcendor and Jehan Crump-Gibson from the Great Lakes Legal Group.
PRESS STATEMENT - AMERICA IN 2022: AND STILL THE PROBLEM OF THE COLOR LINE
“America has a problem dealing with self. God has made of one blood all nations and races of people to dwell upon the earth. Unfortunately, not all people appreciate the human race. They are more concerned about their unique race. The real question is what are the white preachers and teachers saying to their congregations? “
67TH ANNUAL FIGHT FOR FREEDOM FUND DINNER PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, my brothers and sisters in the cause of freedom and justice. I greet you on this occasion of the 67th Annual Fight For Freedom Fund Dinner of the Detroit Branch of the NAACP. As we also celebrate the 110th Anniversary since the founding of our branch, it is with high privilege that we stand on the shoulders of Father Richard Bagnall, Rev. Robert L. Bradby, Sr., Benjamin Willoughby Lambert, William Osby and many others. It was born and emerged out of a crucible of oppression. It was a time of police brutality, “colored” restrooms and water fountains, segregated housing, and employment discrimination. Lest we forget!”
PRESS STATEMENT - HERE WE GO AGAIN, ANOTHER BLACK MAN KILLED WHILE MOVING!
“How long, how many more, how often, how come? How is the African American community so often the subject and the victim of death while interacting with certain police officers around the nation? This latest incident in the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan involving the shooting death of Patrick Lyoya, an immigrant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo is but another indication of a systemic law-enforcement tragedy. It is embedded within the very DNA of many of our nations police departments. Patrick Lyoya should be alive today.”
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STATEMENT
*Image courtesy of Longview News Journal
PRESS STATEMENT - HERE COMES THE JUSTICE …KETANJI BROWN JACKSON!
“It is done. History has been rewarded. A dream has now been fulfilled. Welcome to the 116th United States Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. She will be the first Black woman to sit and serve on the highest court in the land. By a vote of 53 to 47, her confirmation comes after a most contentious and obstructive barrage of mis-representations, mis-interpretations, and a missed obligation to do what is right on the part of those whose actions were indeed wrong.”
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STATEMENT
PRESS STATEMENT - DON’T CELEBRATE THE KING WITHOUT DOING THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM!
“On Monday, January 17, voices from every corner of America will proclaim how much they love, and revere Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Politicians from Republicans, Democrats, and Independents will attend worship services, pay community tributes, send out press releases and make pompous statements about how much he did for this country. They will openly and unashamedly declare how great he was and how much he fought for racial equality. Many will quote passages from his historic I Have A Dream speech (the only one unfortunately in which most are even familiar), as they consistently work to turn it into a nightmare. In approaching the King holiday, it is important to remember Dr. King was not just a dreamer. He was a doer. He was a worker. He did not stand on ceremony. He stood on sacrifice. Please do not leave him perched on a mountain top dreaming. He must be brought back down into the valley, still working.”
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STATEMENT
*Image Copyright Harry Benson
PRESS STATEMENT - MICHIGAN STATE POLICE MUST DO BETTER!
“Today’s announcement by the Michigan State Police of racial and ethnic disparities in the frequency of traffic stops impacting African Americans is revealing but not surprising. Many of us in the civil rights community have been saying this for years. It is also an indication of what is happening in many local police departments across the state. Prior to COVID-19 on any Monday in court rooms across Michigan related to traffic citations and arrests, they were often filled with African Americans and people of color.”
PRESS STATEMENT - THERE IS HOPE: BUT WE STILL NEED A VIDEO!
“One must ask why does it take a video to bring justice in the case of the death of African Americans? It was a video that pulled back the cover in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. It was a video that pulled back the cover of the murder in the case of George Floyd. Emmett Till had no video. Sandra Bland had no video. Trayvon Martin had no video. Breonna Taylor had no video. Kevin Strickland who served 43 years in a Missouri correctional center for a crime he did not commit, had no video. “
PRESS STATEMENT - BLACK PASTORS NOT WANTED IN THE COURTROOM PARTICULARLY IF YOU’RE COMING TO PRAY!
“The Black pastor in America must be one of the most dangerous and threatening non-violent forces in our nation. All he or she needs to do is simply show up and sit at the back of a Georgia courtroom. An earthquake must certainly erupt if he comforts a family going through a living hell caused by the tragic death of their loved one.”
PRESS STATEMENT - THE TRIAL OF AHMAUD ARBERY PROVES AGAIN THAT JUSTICE IS NOT BLIND!
“Unfortunately, there was no video for Emmett Till. There was no video for James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner. There was no video for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There was no video for Sandra Bland. There is no video for Breonna Taylor. But even when we have the video, Lady Justice still manages to pull down her blindfold.”
PRESS STATEMENT – PASSING OF GENERAL COLIN POWELL
“Today we mourn the loss of one of the nation’s greatest soldiers and ultimately a grand statesman, General Colin Powell. From the streets of Harlem to the halls of the Pentagon, he was America’s first Black National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State. He will long be remembered for his steadfastness on the battlefield and his dedication to democracy on the fields throughout our land.”
Click here to read the full statement.
REDISTRICTING OR A 3rd RECONSTRUCTION?
“We do not want our votes split up forcing us to give up seats earned by the blood, sweat, and tears of voters down through the years. These measures were designed historically to facilitate greater representation by people of color. They attempted to expand the right to vote not to take away the gains that we have made. We call upon the Michigan Citizens Redistricting Commission to bring forward maps that include us, not dilute us.”
PRESS STATEMENT - SECURE MICHIGAN VOTE…A TRICK OR TREAT!
“Halloween is coming early this year. The State Board of Canvassers have granted Secure MI Vote a bogus approval for a misleading petition drive. This petition basically restricts Michiganders right to vote. The approval to get 340,047 signatures would ban election officials from mailing absentee ballots to every voter of Michigan unless requested. It would result in more harsh restrictions of voter ID laws. This is no more than a Republican trick designed to steal the treat of the citizens right to exercise their vote.”
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AND SPECIAL GUEST ANNOUNCED FOR 66TH ANNUAL FIGHT FOR FREEDOM FUND DINNER
“Added to the exciting lineup is Hassan Jaber, President & CEO, Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), as the James Weldon Johnson Lifetime Achievement Awardee. Jaber will be recognized for his 16 years of exemplary leadership and service as an inspiration to generations of individuals focused on improving quality of life.
In addition to Jaber, Zania Alaké, Singer, Songwriter and Spring 2021 Top 20 Finalist on “The Voice,” will be a special guest for the Freedom Fund Dinner. Alaké will perform “Lift Every Voice And Sing,” and the national anthem. “
PRESS STATEMENT – BEAT DOWN AT THE BORDER – HAITIANS DESERVE MUCH BETTER!
“The influx of immigrants to Del Rio, Texas, most of them Haitians, has gripped the attention of the world. Graphic scenes of Haitians being run down by border patrol agents on horseback, using their lariats like a bull whip conjure up images of American enslavement. It reminds us of a period in our nation’s history filled with pain, blood, agony, and human degradation. Escaped Africans were often pursued by slavecatchers on horseback carrying bull whips in one hand, while guns were strapped to their side ready to be drawn by the other. America must do better than this.”
HUD SECRETARY MARCIA L. FUDGE TO KEYNOTE 66TH ANNUAL FIGHT FOR FREEDOM FUND DINNER
“After nearly two years of COVID-19, we are pleased to begin a new journey along the march towards freedom and equity at one of the nation’s most iconic civil rights events called the Detroit NAACP Fight For Freedom Fund Dinner. It is scheduled for Sunday, October 3, 5pm, at the TCF Center.”
PRESS STATEMENT - HOW TO KILL A DEMOCRACY
. Last November, the American people by a majority of 7 million votes elected a new president. Joseph R. Biden got 81 million votes to Donald J. Trump’s 74 million. It was the highest voter turnout since 1900. Despite this, American democracy has been called into question. Voters have been made to believe fraud was committed, machines were rigged, and illegal ballots were cast. Phony voter audits have been called for in the states of Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and even attempts have been made in Michigan. The U.S. Justice Department warned, “that some jurisdictions conducting them may be using or proposing to use procedures that risk violating the Civil Rights Acts.”
PRESS RELEASE - WE TOO HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT DETROIT POLICE DEPARTMENT ACTIONS!
“The recent knockout of a young black man by a Detroit police officer, as he walked backwards in Downtown Detroit raises very serious concerns. These concerns go directly to police policy and protocol. Does this reflect the kind of community policing so desperately needed in cities across the country?”
PRESS STATEMENT - THE PROPOSED REVISIONS OF THE DETROIT CITY CHARTER
“The NAACP has long since its inception believed in the fundamental right to vote. It is one of the pillars on which the organization stands. In that spirit, the Detroit Branch NAACP must oppose any attempt which may directly or indirectly impede, negate, or eliminate the right of the people to cast their vote and exercise their constitutional rights. “