On My Mind
I'm at work printing scripts for my director, audio person and anchors. While I'm at work, almost always my TV is on as is every other person's in the newsroom. Mine, however, doesn't stay on CNN or Fox News. It's on ESPN. What can I say, I'm a sports junkie. Right now "Rome Is Burning" is on. One of the topics being debated is the NAACP's involvement in trying to get more Black players in Major League Baseball. Now I could wax poetic on how I think we do need more players of color in baseball, but today something else has piqued my interest. The NAACP itself. Mainly the name. Let's break this down. NAACP means the National Association for The Advancement of Colored People. Colored. People. Last time I checked we weren't colored. The PC term (which I don't use, but that's a different issue) is African-American. If we're going to march on as a people in a new direction in these new times, something has to be done. I know this may sound blasphemous, but someone has to change the name of this organization. I know the history behind the organization and all it's done for people in the past to get us to our present. I get that. But King, Abernathy and X ain't walking through that door anytime soon. I'm not saying we totally abandon the ideals and memory of them, but we've got to start moving forward. Starting with how we address ourselves.
posted by Jarrod at 1:50 PM
10 Comments:
which is easier: changing the name or changing the effectiveness? b/c to me the name of an org. that does nothing/next to nothing is meaningless.
2:32 PM
And just so you know, the NAACP has since branched out to fight for the rights of many different ethnic minorities - hispanics, african americans, asians, etc - in recent years. So they couldn't become the NAAAA, as you are suggesting, because they fight for others. Now, the topic of how effective they are in fighting is a whole other story.
8:51 AM
Jameil...For me a name means a lot. At the end of the day all you have that's yours is your name. I'm definitely down with the organization being effective, but there's just something about the whole colored people thing that irks me.
Buford...That I did not know. So if that's the case, why not just eliminate the "CP" completely? I know the National Association for the Advancement of People sounds pretty lame, but it would make the mission statement more clear in my eyes. I ain't even gonna touch that last sentence.
11:33 AM
Well, if they took the CP out of the name, clear people could legitimately say that they, too, should be represented by the organization. Then, that would defeat the ENTIRE purpose of the org, now wouldn't it?
2:47 PM
Let the record reflect that I hate Buford...
6:22 AM
Clear people? **sigh**
3:12 PM
*chuckle*
10:05 AM
Sorry but I'm with the black girl in Rhode Island.
7:42 PM
I don't care WHAT they call themselves. Just DO something. I made the mistake of getting involved with the chapter down here while my mother worked for the org. *shudder* Now anytime someone asks me to join, I tell them I'm Latina and K.I.M. Lol
11:05 PM
hey. first time here. nice blog.
i think that continuing to call it NAACP is unacceptable if they want us to believe that they are still a relevant force in 2007. they need an overall overhaul of the goals in which they are trying to attain and the ways at which they're going about them, in addition to a name change.
1:51 PM
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