NAACP Culpeper #7058

Also Serving Madison and Rappahannock Counties

Category: Call To Action (Page 3 of 4)

Race, Media, and the 2020 Election

October 5, 2020 /

Speaker Series panel at the Robertson School: Samantha Willis (top left), Kym Grinnage (top right), Elliott Robinson (bottom left), Calvin Anthony Duncan (bottom middle), and Danita Rountree Green (bottom right).

Elliott Robinson, the news editor at Charlottesville Tomorrow and a member of the board of SPJ Virginia Pro, will be on a panel discussion at 5 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 6) on “Race, Media, and the 2020 Election.”

The free online event is part of the virtual Speaker Series sponsored by the Robertson School of Media and Culture at Virginia Commonwealth University. The other panelists are:

  • Kym Grinnage, vice president and general manager, NBC 12
  • Danita Rountree Green, author, and Co-CEO of Coming To The Table-RVA
  • Calvin Anthony Duncan, pastor and founder, Faith and Family Church
  • Samantha Willis, independent journalist, and writer

Moderating the panel discussion will be Dr. Aloni Hill, assistant professor of journalism in the Robertson School, and Robb Crocker, podcaster, digital journalist, and doctoral student in VCU’s Media, Art, and Text program. The event is co-sponsored by the new VCU student chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).

You can watch this Speaker Series event as a Zoom webinar on the Robertson School’s website — https://robertson.vcu.edu/news/speaker-series-panel-debates-race-media-and-the-2020-election.html — or as a live stream on the school’s Facebook page — https://www.facebook.com/TheRobertsonSchool — at the time of the event.

At 6 p.m. on the following Tuesday (Oct. 13), SPJ Virginia Pro has organized an online event featuring Dorothy Butler Gilliam, the first Black woman reporter at The Washington Post and author of a recent memoir. Details on that event are at:

https://spjva.com/2020/09/25/oct-13-a-conversation-with-trailblazing-journalist-dorothy-gilliam/

https://www.facebook.com/SPJVa/posts/2764854190466114

The Oct. 13 event will be moderated by Diane Walker, an anchor at NBC 12, and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. It is co-sponsored by the VCU Robertson School and the BND Institute of Media and Culture.

 

Jeff South | Associate Professor Emeritus | Virginia Commonwealth University
President | Virginia Pro Chapter | Society of Professional Journalists
Freelance journalist | Newsroom trainer | Fulbright scholar | jeff-south.com
804-519-1062  | JeffSouthRVA@gmail.com | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Response to Sheriff Scott Jenkins’ Post of Violent Action of Antifa & Black Lives Matter

October 1, 2020 /

NAACP Culpeper Branch #7058 General Meeting Time: Oct 1, 2020, 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89894541503?pwd=RnZuUE5SRTh3TUVLcmFVdVRvcDhUdz09

 

As leaders and public servants in the Culpeper community, on behalf of the Culpeper NAACP, also representing Madison and Rappahannock Counties, I chose to delay our response to the recent controversial posts and remarks by our Sheriff to have an opportunity to confer with our NAACP officials, as well as an opportunity to go straight to the source for clarification and intent.

The Culpeper community has flourished in building a cohesive, communicative environment, and as such, I would like to feel that we can continue in that vein. The NAACP, particularly the Culpeper Branch, has always engendered that cooperation and, more importantly, stands for the uplifting of all people. We have never in the past, nor moving forward, condoned acts of threats or harm to any community.

The remarks, as they were written and interpreted by many in our community, were harmful, hurtful, divisive in nature, and highly disappointing. As leaders, we are held to a higher standard, and whether intended or not, the comments have produced a great deal of hurt and pain to many who call Culpeper home.

We have met with our Sheriff and representatives of his office and will continue efforts to find resolve in recent issues that have impacted our community in such an astounding way. We have worked to build bridges leading to a better, more inclusive Culpeper, and are going to collectively shore up those bridges now in need of repair.

While Culpeper is not perfect, we have built, together, a safe community filled with love, support, hard workers, respect, and yes, believers. We will continue the work needed, not just talk, to participate in building a community we can all be proud of; one worthy of fighting for today, tomorrow and the rest of our lives, well beyond November.

GET OUT AND VOTE OR MAIL IN YOUR BALLOTS!!

Sandra Reaves-Yates, President

Demand Justice for Breonna Taylor

September 23, 2020 /

Wanton endangerment.

That is what the reckless murder of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor was reduced to by a Louisville grand jury earlier today.

For nearly 200 days, we have demanded accountability and justice, but instead, today, we were patronized by Kentucky’s Attorney General, Daniel Cameron. One officer was charged for the wanton endangerment of others in connection to the death of Breonna Taylor, but nobody was charged for actually killing her.

Demand Justice for Breonna Taylor

This is not justice for Breonna Taylor. This is an insult to her memory, and a disregard of Black lives.

Make no mistake, the unsubstantial charges against officer Brett Hankinson are an attempt to placate the Black community and those who have rallied on Breonna’s behalf all summer long. But we will not be silenced, and we will never stop demanding real justice. It is unacceptable that, once again, culpability has eluded those guilty of state-sanctioned murder.

The system failed Breonna Taylor and, as such, failed us.

We know that justice is a proper indictment and conviction for all 3 officers involved in the shooting. We know that justice means a complete overhaul of policing within Black communities, not just in Louisville, but across the country. We know that justice is protecting Black lives at all costs, and not treating us as collateral damage in botched arrests. We know that justice is leaders in our state and local governments who put people over politics.

Demand Justice for Breonna Taylor
NAACP | Share Your Story - Breonna Taylor
Demand justice for Breonna Taylor by sharing your story and voicing the changes you want to see in the criminal justice system.

Friend, now is the time to use our voice louder than you’ve ever used it before. If we want real justice for Breonna Taylor, we must fight for it in the courts, we must fight for it in our very own communities – online and offline – and we must fight for it at the polls.

We are upset, and rightfully so, but we must take our anger from protest to power.

In Solidarity,

Derrick Johnson
@DerrickNAACP
President and CEO
NAACP

Let your voice be heard!

September 18, 2020 /

The last day to register or to update/correct your voter registration records ahead of the next election is TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13. If you do not register by then, you will not be able to vote. If your records are out-of-date, you’ll have to cast a provisional ballot, which may or may not be counted.

It only takes a minute to check your records! Virginia Voter Information – Citizen Portal

 

As of September 18, Virginians can begin voting in one of the most consequential elections of our lifetimes. Thanks to recently passed laws, Virginia is one of the easiest places to cast your ballot. These laws include:

• No photo-ID requirement
• No-excuse absentee voting
• 45-day early voting period
• Election Day is a state holiday

Additionally, the General Assembly recently approved measures to ensure voting by mail is even safer and secure this year, including:

• Pre-paid postage on absentee ballots
• Secure ballot drop-off locations in every locality
• Notifying voters if their absentee ballot was rejected because of an error and allowing them to correct the error

Early In-Person Voting

If you choose to vote in-person, you may do so starting tomorrow at your local registrar’s office or satellite voting location. Early in-person voting runs through Saturday, October 31. You can look up your registrar’s hours and information here.

Remember to bring an acceptable form of identification, though you will still be able to vote without an ID if you sign a sworn ID Confirmation Statement.

Absentee Voting By Mail

Registrars will begin mailing absentee ballots on September 18 to voters who request them. You may find your Registrar’s contact information here. Mailed ballots may be returned via USPS or other mail delivery service, or by dropping it off in person at your registrar’s office or at an official ballot drop-off location in your locality. For more information, go to www.voteva.us

However you choose to cast your ballot, it’s critical that you vote and make your voice heard!

 

NAACP Volunteer – Civic Engagement Program
Black voices change lives! Volunteer today. Make history in November.

https://blackvoiceschangelives.org/

2020 Virtual March on Washington

August 22, 2020 /

For generations, African Americans in this country have faced an anti-Black pandemic. From the unjust killings of innocent African Americans to the disproportionate impact of a global health pandemic, Black people have been getting attacked on all fronts. This moment has exposed the inequality embedded in the underlying fabric of our nation.

Join the thousands – virtually-who will March on Washington to set forth a bold new Black agenda restore and recommit to the dream. The Commitment March, convened by Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III, will gather at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., for an inclusive day of action.

The 2020 Virtual March on Washington and the Commitment March will take place on the 57th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.

2020 Virtual March On Washington
Join us Aug 27-28, 2020 for a virtual March on Washington.

https://2020march.com/

How to Vote in the 2020 Election

August 21, 2020 /

There are three different ways you can vote this year!

What’s your plan?

 

1 Vote by Mail

Click here to apply online to vote absentee by mail. The deadline to apply is Oct. 23.

 

2 Vote Early In-person

You can vote early at your local registrar’s office beginning Sept. 18 and ending Oct. 31. To check that you are registered to vote, click here. To find the location and hours for early voting in your county,  call your local registrar’s office, click here. You do not have to have a reason or fill out an application to vote early. You will need to show an acceptable form of ID or sign an ID Confirmation Statement. To view a complete list of acceptable IDs, click here. Accessible equipment and/or curbside voting is available upon request.

 

3 Vote In-Person on Election Day

The polls will be open from 6 AM until 7 PM on November 3. Find your polling location here.

 

Need more help? Call the Virginia Department of Elections (804) 864-8901

Virginia NAACP urges state lawmakers to declare racism a public health crisis

August 15, 2020 /

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The head of the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP said Friday that the organization is demanding that lawmakers advance measures to reform policing and the state’s criminal justice system and declare “racism as a public health crisis” during next week’s special session.

In a virtual press conference, Robert Barnette, the president of both the Virginia State Conference NAACP and the Hanover County NAACP, called on legislators to address police accountability and racial bias in law enforcement.

“What we’ve witnessed across the nation is an unprecedented response to the killing of George Floyd. His death has awakened in all of us the necessity of now to make lasting and meaning reform to policing and our criminal justice system,” Barnette said in his opening remarks. “That along with the effects of the coronavirus, a historic pandemic, has exposed the institutional and systemic racism pervasive in our systems within our criminal justice system. The Commonwealth of Virginia is not immune to the effects of racism and it must be addressed now.”

Virginia NAACP urges state lawmakers to declare racism a public health crisis

Absentee Ballot Alert

August 10, 2020 /

In the last two weeks, many Virginia voters received absentee ballot applications in the mail even though they didn’t request one. This was done by a non-partisan organization whose intent was to increase voter turnout.

The easiest and most secure way to request an absentee ballot is to go online to the Virginia Dept. of Elections website – LINK:

vote.elections.virginia.gov/voterinformation

The Virginia Department of Elections has a dedicated Citizens Portal for all matters related to voting and elections. You can register to vote, update your voter registration information, and verify the correct addresses of your registrar’s office and your polling location. Most importantly, to protect our election, we encourage you to use this secure channel to apply online to vote by mail in the November 3, 2020, General Election.

If you have already applied for an absentee ballot and are wondering why you haven’t received it yet, the first day that absentee ballots will be mailed to voters is September 18, 2020. No need to submit a new application–just track the status of your application using the Citizens Portal.

After you complete your ballot and mail it back to be counted, track the status of your ballot using the Citizens Portal. The return envelope has a tracking label unique to your voter registration information to protect your vote.

While the Virginia Department of Elections has no official affiliation or coordination with any third-party group, it has issued an official statement letting voters know that if you used a third party to mail your application, any applications that arrive in the wrong locality’s office will be forwarded immediately to the correct registrar’s office for processing.

 

Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy
1716 E. Franklin Street
Richmond, VA 23223

This Congressman is attacking Black Lives Matter with white nationalist talking points. These companies are supporting him.

July 23, 2020 /

Hagedorn’s Facebook post is not an anomaly. He has a history of racist, sexist, and homophobic screeds going back decades. Yet, major corporations that publicly champion racial justice, equality, and inclusion – including UnitedHealth Group, U.S. Bank, Intel, and Best Buy – have donated thousands of dollars to Hagedorn’s reelection campaign.

In response to a homophobic ad run against GOP candidate Mike Taylor, Hagedorn wrote, “[T]he ad really bent Taylor over with rage and caused him to go straight to the bar and get lubricated.” He derided the Supreme Court decision of Lawrence v. Texas, which invalidated laws making sex between two consenting adults illegal, as “Lone Star Sodomites v. God and Country,” calling it “an abomination on par with the deviancy it attempted to condone.”

Despite this, companies that claim to be committed to racial and social justice are bankrolling Hagedorn’s campaign.

 

This Congressman is attacking Black Lives Matter with white nationalist talking points. These companies are supporting him.
In a Facebook post published on June 23, Congressman Jim Hagedorn (R-MN) used white nationalist rhetoric to condemn the Black Lives Matter movement. Hagedorn wrote that the Black Lives Matter movement is “at war with our country, our beliefs and western culture.” He insisted that Americans must oppo…

https://popular.info/p/this-congressman-is-attacking-black

Red, White and Black

July 3, 2020 /
Volunteer today. Make history on Tuesday, November 3.

Join today. Make history on Tuesday, November 3!

An astonishing amount has happened in the weeks since the slow-motion execution of George Floyd.

In every state and around the world, people of all colors, genders, and ages have joined together to march in fury and in hope, to renounce the past and redeem the future.

Since then, the chokehold that killed George Floyd has been banned in 20 cities and counting. Confederate monuments have toppled or have (finally) removed by officials. Around the country, communities are pushing police out of schools, and considering how to slash law enforcement budgets and reinvest the funds to address the root problems that police are so ill-equipped to handle.

But too much has also stayed the same.

Since George Floyd’s murder, police have killed Black men in Georgia and California. Around the country, six Black people have been found hanging from trees, supposed suicides that chillingly resemble lynchings and have sparked demands for investigations. And as of now, no charges have been filed against the Louisville police officers who broke into Breonna Taylor’s home and shot her dead as she slept.

The hard truth is that America still has not extended the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to the Black community. And even centuries after our very own ancestors built this country from the ground up, the consequences of chattel slavery are still painfully reflected in the system of racism that is so thoroughly embedded in our nation’s social, economic, and political systems.

The good news is that the recent protests are evidence that true freedom is within our grasp. We have a chance now to escalate the energy of this moment and move from protest to power to policy change—as long as those of us who care about civil rights and social justice keep up the fight.

So on this Fourth of July, we’re calling on everyone to not let this moment slip through our hands. Let’s all pledge to continue doing the hard, necessary work of pushing toward a better and more just future for our families and our country.

Join the Fight for Freedom!

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VIRGINIA NAACP
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PO BOX 687
CULPEPER VA 22701

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