Good grief! Blaming the "white power structure" for the infighting at the NAACP makes about as much sense as blaming a black power structure for the infighting at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)!
Organizations of all types oftentimes go through internal struggles for control of the organization. It is not rare, it is not pleasant to experience, it is not entertaining to watch, and it is usually not productive. But, it does occur rather routinely. It happens to private corporations, to family businesses, to churches, to big non-profit, to small non-profits, to charities, to political organizations, and even to advocacy organizations. Jim Bernstein Fulton -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Michelle Gross Sent: Friday, October 03, 2003 5:57 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Mpls] Doug Grow on Mpls NAACP infighting Anyone even marginally aware of the struggle within the NAACP knows that it is about efforts by the white power structure to insert their operatives into the organization to maintain the status quo. The NAACP was going to be given money to monitor the consent decree in the lawsuit against the school board: Gallmon, a school board member, becomes president without ever having to be elected to the position (Shayla Lindsey KNEW she had been promoted and was leaving town WHEN she ran for president and added Gallmon to the slate for first VP). Prior efforts have included having folks who side with the city on the Hollman decree insert themselves into the leadership of the group. Personally I find Ron Edwards abrasive as hell, but this isn't about Edwards. It is about a group of folks who want the organization to stay true to its mission and not be a front for the folks downtown to manipulate the Black community. The current tactic is to try to suspend or revoke the membership of those people who have asked for accountability from the leadership. This is a leadership that has violated national rules by refusing to get the books audited. A partial audit showed improper spending by that same leadership and, at that point, the full audit was shut down. That same leadership exchanged emails about how to frame things so all membership votes on key issues would require a super majority. This would allow the executive committee to overrule the member votes. One result is that the membership voted to refuse the funds for the "parent information centers" and, minutes later, the executive committee (in a closed meeting with no minutes produced) voted to take the money. These tactics are as old as the books and they are used on just about every community of color. When whites want to control mineral rights on American Indian reservations, they insert bought-off people into leadership on the tribal councils. Etc., etc. ad nauseum. How nice of Doug Grow to ride in on a white horse and defend the usurpation of this once fine organization by those who have manipulated it to maintain the status quo and control the Black community's access to resources. Shame on him! Michelle Gross Bryn Mawr At 10:07 PM 10/1/03 -0500, Peter T Schmitz wrote: >Thank you, Doug Grow, for separating the good Negroes from the bad >Negroes.-------------------Peter Schmitz CARAG REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
