Rev. Alonzo Braggs on The NAACP Anniversary

Our nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization has reached another anniversary. It was 101 years ago that a diverse group of concerned citizens met to address the issues affecting minorities across our country. Since that day, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has worked tirelessly to bring about social change and demand justice and equality for all.
Over the past 101 years this association has witnessed constitutional amendments, state general statues, and local governments policies, changed to provide basic human rights, to those who for so long were deprived of fair treatment. Today, almost every area of our society has been constructively affected by the labor and love of branch members and state conferences.                                                                                    

While we may have an African-American in the White House, we still witness too many of our brothers and sisters housed in federal, state and county facilities. Too many are innocent. Our nation has seen an African-American hold the highest education post, while also burdened with the miseducation of so many African-American children.

The best place to show that we demand change is at the polls. We can no longer afford to be ignorant of the positions and convictions of policy makers and those who are charged with the responsibility of caring for our greatest investment; our children. The fathers and mothers of old, stood and braved the risk of violating tradition, being talked about, losing a job, physically and verbally threatened, because they knew and understood that the end results, even if they were not privileged to see it, would be for the better, of generations following.

I hear the God of the ages, calling to a people of profound heritage remember from whence you've come. Sacrifice the time to go back and study those memorials. You will soon discover that it was at these ports in life, that emancipation and liberation took place. Deliverance and victory was the order of the day.

Impact your local community by attending council meeting, commissioners meetings, and board of education meetings. You do no good at all only knowing who serves in these elected positions. You must be present and visible to the extent that all of them know who you are and why you are present. They must recognize that you are not just observing but present and empowered to challenge their positions that are not in the best interest of your child and the children of the total community. Finally, I challenge each citizen to enable the work of this association to continue by joining our ranks. Celebrate our anniversary by investing today with your membership.


Reverend Alonzo Braggs,
President, Wilson Branch





Permission to Publish Courtesy of Rev. Braggs