By John Horton 

Special to the 

New Journal and Guide

The NAACP National Convention that concluded Thursday in Kansas City, Mo., highlighted the 101st anniversary of an organization dedicated to civil rights.

As a 69-year-old African-American male and long-time supporter, I am deeply concerned about the continuity and viability of the NAACP in the 21st century.  The venerable NAACP is at a great crossroads. In the recent past, it has suffered from a leadership void, internal bickering, operational difficulties, stagnant membership, declining corporate support, ongoing IRS inquiry, among a host of internal and external ailments.

Moreover, supporters and critics alike are questioning the NAACP’s very purpose and direction.

For instance, I am overall, pleased that the NAACP called out the Tea Party movement about some of its seemingly racist components. In this respect, the convention resolution was the right thing to do. However, I do not agree with all of the recent statements uttered by Ben Jealous, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Nancy Pelosi, Samir Shabazz, and others – statements that tended to paint the entire Tea Party with one “racist” brush.

Agitation is good; demagoguery is not. I believe the Tea Party has mostly good people in it, but I also believe the Tea Party has some not-so-good participants and supporters.

I have seen some of the elements associated with the Tea Party movement – the monkey signs, Hitler and Stalin posters, Joker black-face portraits, and other derogatory illustrations and degrading statements about President Obama.

The primary leaders and major supporters of the Tea Party need to speak out, strongly and visibly, against these kinds of hateful actions and derogatory demonstrations.

Ultimately, I believe that the NAACP wants the same things that I do: Freedom, Equality, Opportunity and Justice for all of America’s peoples. 

In these reasonable efforts and just causes, I support the NAACP, but the organization needs much, more support. 

Supposedly the NAACP has a paid membership of 500,000, or so. In my opinion, this membership count is too low to be meaningful and effective.  Based on its outstanding civil and human rights record, the NAACP should have several million dues-paying members, among African Americans in particular.  If it truly desires autonomy and flexibility, the NAACP must be able to “pay its own way” in terms of member participation and meaningful financial support.

Only then will the NAACP be able to fulfill its leadership role(s) and organizational objectives for the 21st century.  Only then will the NAACP be able to conceive and enact those “three arts of life and survival” for its core membership:

The art of cohesiveness (to recognize and neutralize “enemies” from within and without).

The art of commerce (to develop and improve upon skills of labor, business, and trade)

The art of capitalization (to effect and promote a competence in goods and service production, financial investment, and management techniques).

This is the only way by which the NAACP will be able to adequately address the needs and ambitions of the alienated, impoverished and disillusioned people within our families and communities. As a grass roots activist and advocate, I respectfully offer the following suggestions to the NAACP as some agendas and strategies:

Concentrate on “Silver Rights.”  Be concerned about competitive education, economic literacy, job training and entrepreneurial development.

Focus on “Golden Rules.”  Be concerned about pay equity, saving, investing, venture capital and producing.  Remember the adage: “He who has the gold gets to make the rules.                                                    

Establish ways to get the business-civic community more involved by forming task forces and think tanks to deal with education, political and economic issues that affect “us all.”

The organization should gather more resources, including monies, to deal with the multitude and magnitude of issues and obstacles that confront us as a community and economic entity. It should then implement effective strategies and methodologies on how to involve parents, particularly the “missing father” in the raising and nurturing of their children.

And it should create ways to plant the seeds of self-esteem and group empowerment early on, particularly for at-risk and disadvantaged children and families.

I find it fitting to end with the eloquent and wise words of Frederick Douglass, “...A man may not get all that he pays for, but he must certainly pay for all that he gets....” This is the way now for the NAACP.

John Horton is a retired Marine sergeant major and recently retired juvenile probation officer.  Currently he volunteers with inner city communities and organizations as his time and health allow.