JORDAN - Thanks for the City Pages link! I remembered the story as soon as I opened the link.
I also recall reading the story at that time and wondering what the cover and headline of the City Pages story had to do with the article. The fact that Richard Jefferson encouraged his supporters to join the NAACP to vote for him seemed like, well, the sort of thing that one does to win elections. The fact that some of his supporters were white did not seem especially newsworthy since Ms. Seales also had white supporters. It is fair I guess to include Rep. Kahn, former House Speaker Long, former Mayor Fraser and Ms. Fraser as part of the "white power structure" but by voting in that election, it hardly seems that they were part of a group trying to take over or push the direction of the NAACP in some direction that is favorable to them or the "white power structure". I am not a member of the NAACP. As an outsider, it does seem quite apparent though that the internal leadership struggles inside the local NAACP branch are between different "factions" of the black community jousting for position and not a power grab by the "white power structure". Jim Bernstein Fulton -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jordan S. Kushner Sent: Sunday, October 05, 2003 8:36 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Mpls] Doug Grow on Mpls NAACP infighting Historical memory. Here is a much more comprehensive of the power struggles at the NAACP, and - believe it or not - the role of the power structure: http://www.citypages.com/databank/20/954/article7354.asp Jordan Kushner Golden Valley works downtown ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Bernstein" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Michelle Gross'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, October 04, 2003 11:21 PM Subject: RE: [Mpls] Doug Grow on Mpls NAACP infighting > 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. 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