NAACP Culpeper #7058

Also Serving Madison and Rappahannock Counties

Category: News (Page 2 of 7)

NAACP Scholarship Application

March 9, 2022 /

The Culpeper Branch of the NAACP will award a $500 scholarship to a graduating high school senior who lives in Culpeper, Madison, or Rappahannock counties. Scholarships are available for applicants who will attend accredited trade, vocational, and technical schools; community colleges; or four-year colleges and universities. To be eligible for this scholarship, you must have a minimum 2.5 grade average.

Applications must be received no later than April 1, 2022. Please submit to your guidance office or mail (postmarked by April 1) to: NAACP Culpeper, P.O. Box 687, Culpeper, VA, 22701.

Download (DOCX)

NAACP Essay Contest

January 28, 2022 /

Winners will be recognized in local media and at the March NAACP meeting, receive gift certificates up to $200, and be invited to attend a special field trip to the NMAAHC in Washington DC.

Email submissions by February 28, 2022, to education@naacpculpeper.org

NAACP Essay Contest

This is Culpeper, and we deserve better. We can do better.

March 7, 2021 /

If you spend more time on SWAT training than in de-escalation training, then the results will match that investment. If you spend more money on special combat assault rifles than funding positions and partnerships for mental health, then the results will match your investment.

In short, you get what you pay for; only, we’re all paying for it—with both our taxes and our lives.

COMMENTARY: Culpeper shootings demand a cultural shift

We are a nation of plurality; our diversity is our strength. I would hope that despite where you fall on the political spectrum, you’ll hear my heart and help find solutions to the problems we face right here in Culpeper.

NAACP Culpeper Presents Captains of Community Awards

February 18, 2021 /

Reaves, Sledge, and Hunter Recognized for Commitment to Justice

 Culpeper, Virginia February 18, 2021 – The Rev. Dr. Uzziah A. Harris, president of the NAACP Culpeper Branch, also representing Madison and Rappahannock counties, recently recognized three local advocates for equity and justice as “Captains of Community.” The awards were presented at the branch’s annual celebration event honoring the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in January.

Brianna Simone Reaves, a student at the University of Mary Washington, was recognized as a community leader and activist for racial justice. Reaves is president of the NAACP’s University of Mary Washington Branch and vice president of the NAACP Virginia State Conference Youth and College Division. “Brianna has a voice that cannot be quieted,” Dr. Harris stated. “She was a co-organizer of the 2020 march in Culpeper protesting police brutality across the nation, a peaceful event that drew more than 800 people. She is a Dean’s List student and an exceptional advocate for the cause of racial justice.”

Dr. Harris also recognized Pastor Adrian Sledge as a Captain of Community. Sledge, a longtime community leader, founded the MOVE Ministry (Maximizing Opportunities and Gaining Victory Through Excellence) with his wife, Ronica. “Pastor Sledge has been an outstanding proponent for justice and change,” Dr. Harris stated. Sledge served as the keynote speaker for the NAACP Culpeper 2021 Martin Luther King, Jr., observance event.

The third Captain of Community award was presented to Amy M. Hunter of Culpeper. “The mother of three boys, Amy has served her family and her community with distinction,” Dr. Harris stated. “She created the petition and led the effort to remove the Confederate flag at Lenn Park. We thank her for her willingness and courage to speak up and take action in the fight for justice.”

The Culpeper Branch of the NAACP meets on the third Thursday evening of the month at 7 pm and is currently meeting via Zoom. The tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which originally aired on January 18 and features a number of speakers including Pastor Sledge, can be viewed on the NAACP Culpeper website or at https://naacpculpeper.org/mlk-2021-celebration/. For more information on meetings, events, and membership, visit www.naacpculpeper.org or contact secretary@naacpculpeper.org.

 

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Support SJ272 to eliminate voting restrictions against felons and the intellectually disabled

February 4, 2021 /

This morning, the Senate Privileges & Elections Committee voted in a bipartisan fashion to advance SJR272, the constitutional voting rights amendment. This is a major Virginia NAACP VICTORY!

Laws that were passed in the early 1900s that put unreasonable restrictions can still be felt today. This amendment not only lifts restrictions on qualifications to vote for those who have been convicted of a felony or adjudicated to be mentally incompetent, but it ensures that restrictive, unethical, and racially biased laws cannot be enacted or enforced.

As you know, passing Senator Mamie Locke’s Constitutional Amendment is our #1 legislative priority for this session. Therefore, we are asking for your support over the next 24 hours to help apply pressure to Senators before it heads to the full Senate.

Add your name!

 

Virginia NAACP Applauds Committee Passage of Voting Rights Constitutional Amendment and Demands Swift Passage By Full Senate – Virginia NAACP

RICHMOND (February 4, 2021) -Virginia State Conference NAACP President Robert N. Barnette, Jr. issued the following statement today following the passage of

Crisis Magazine

February 2, 2021 /

The Crisis

Dear NAACP member,

Thank you for your continued commitment to social justice and civil rights.

In 2020, we celebrated the 110th Anniversary of The Crisis magazine. When W.E.B. Du Bois created The Crisis in 1910, he noted that it would be “a record of the darker races” and it became the official publication of the NAACP.

We know that The Crisis is a benefit of your NAACP membership and was recently made aware that some members did not receive the digital editions of The Crisis magazine that were produced in 2020. We apologize for this oversight.

We published four issues of The Crisis in 2020 — one hard copy and three digital issues. After 110 years, we continue to be “a record of the darker races.” The Crisis digital issues are packed with stories that document the journey and experience of African Americans during a year of social unrest, a pandemic, and the election of Kamala Harris as the nation’s first African American, first South Asian, and first woman Vice President of the United States.

Please check out the links to the digital issues below.

If you are interested in receiving hard copies of the digital issues, please send your contact information (name and mailing address) to membership (membership@naacpnet.org) or Ms. India Artis (iartis@naacpnet.org). We will mail you hard copies of the last three issues that were published in 2020.

Thank you again for your membership in the NAACP. Together we will continue to fight for a society in which all persons have equal rights.

The Crisis Digital Issues

If your loved one is hesitant to get the Covid-19 vaccine, share this

February 2, 2021 /

(CNN)Your loved ones are right to have questions about the Covid-19 vaccine — the American public hasn’t watched vaccine development this closely since Dr. Jonas Salk discovered how to immunize kids from polio in the ’50s.

But vaccine hesitancy could put a dangerous damper on the country’s Covid-19 response. Pockets of some populations most at risk of severe sickness from Covid-19, including young nurses and Black Americans, are still dubious of the vaccine — because of the speed at which it was developed, its contents, and potential side effects.

To answer questions your family and friends may have about the Covid-19 vaccine, we consulted with two experts:

  • Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
  • Dr. Ruth Karron, a leading vaccine expert and professor of international health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Medical experts, successful clinical trials, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have repeatedly assured us of the safety and effectiveness of the two Covid-19 vaccines available now, from Moderna and Pfizer.
But health experts take your concerns seriously, too, said, Schaffner.
“We have to regard everybody’s hesitation and skepticism seriously,” he said. “This is a new virus in the human population, new vaccines using new technologies, so you understand that people are somewhat hesitant.”

If your loved one is hesitant to get the Covid-19 vaccine, share this

To answer questions you or your loved ones may have about the Covid-19 vaccine, we consulted with two experts. The evidence supports the safety and efficacy of the two Covid-19 vaccines currently authorized.

Special Election in Culpeper on March 30

January 31, 2021 /

In-person early voting starts Feb 12 at the office of the Registrar 151, N Main St., Suite 301, Culpeper VA. Election day is March 30th. Absentee by mail ballots can be requested by calling the Registrar 540-825-0652. Business hours are 8:30 a to 4:30 p weekdays. Closed on President’s Day Feb 15.

COMMENTARY: Culpeper clerk of court tasked with many responsibilities

Culpeper County will hold a special election on March 30. As of this writing, at least two individuals have announced their candidacy for the position. Since a large percentage of the county’s eligible voters are expected to take part, I share what I have learned about the importance of the position and summarize the duties of the office.

NAACP Culpeper Branch Elects Harris as President

January 6, 2021 /

CONTACT INFORMATION:

NAACP Culpeper Branch #7058
Cindy Taylor
secretary@naacpculpeper.org

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Culpeper, VA January 6 – The Culpeper Branch of the NAACP, also serving Madison and Rappahannock counties, has elected the Rev. Dr. Uzziah Anthony Harris as its president for the 2021-2022 term. Dr. Harris had previously served as vice president of the organization. He succeeds Sandra Reaves-Yates, who served as president for two terms, beginning in 2017.

A North Carolina native and resident of Culpeper, Dr. Harris is an educator, certified life coach, and ordained minister. He is currently a teacher and coach at Floyd T. Binns Middle School in Culpeper. Dr. Harris holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and education from the College of William & Mary (1999) and earned both a Master of Divinity (2012) and a Doctor of Divinity (2014) from the Virginia Triumphant College and Seminary. He was ordained by the school in 2016.

Dr. Harris has been a participant in the Virginia Commonwealth University Grace E. Harris Minority Political Leadership Institute and the Sorensen Political Leadership Institute at the University of Virginia. He is the author of three books, including Trial by Fire: Deliberation Over the Soul of a Nation.

“I’m grateful to my predecessor, Mrs. Sandra Reaves-Yates, and to all who are committed to the important work of the NAACP,” Dr. Harris stated at his installation in December. “To meet the challenges of the new year, with the ongoing racial unrest and the pandemic, it is clear that, more than 50 years after Dr. Martin Luther King’s death, we must still continue this important work. We must build bridges and create policies that enable us to move forward on racial equity in education, in employment, and throughout our communities.”

In addition to Dr. Harris, officers for the 2021-2022 term include the Rev. Frank D. Lewis, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Madison, who is serving as vice president; Cindy Taylor, who is serving her second term as secretary; and Harold Boyd, who is serving his second term as treasurer. Sandra Reaves-Yates and Ren LeVally were elected as at-large members of the board.

Presiding over her final meeting as president in December, Reaves-Yates presented several awards to branch members for leadership and service. NAACP Culpeper Image awards were presented to Gwendolyn Sanford, who chaired the branch’s Education Committee, and the Rev. Sanford Reaves, Jr., a former NAACP Culpeper president who chaired the Legal Redress Committee. Service awards were presented to Treasurer Harold Boyd; Rose and Mike Herrity, who helped oversee the Freedom Fund fundraising effort; and Ren LeVally, an at-large board member and chair of the Public Relations Committee. Marilyn and Ed Dunphy were presented with the Community Service award. Secretary Cindy Taylor was presented with the 2020 President’s Award.

Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. The NAACP has more than 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over two million activists. The organization’s mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

The Culpeper Branch of the NAACP meets on the third Thursday evening of the month at 7 pm and is currently meeting via Zoom. The branch will host a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on January 18, 2021, at 1 pm. The event will be live-streamed on the NAACP Culpeper website and Facebook page. For more information on meetings, events, and membership, visit https://naacpculpeper.org.

 

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How COVID-19 Hollowed Out a Generation of Young Black Men

December 23, 2020 /

While COVID-19 has killed 1 out of every 800 African Americans, a toll that overwhelms the imagination, even more stunning is the deadly efficiency with which it has targeted young Black men like Bates. One study using data through July found that Black people ages 35 to 44 were dying at nine times the rate of white people the same age, though the gap slightly narrowed later in the year. And in an analysis for ProPublica this summer using the only reliable data at the time accounting for age, race and gender, from Michigan and Georgia, Harvard researcher Tamara Rushovich found that the disparity was greatest in Black men.

They were pillars of their communities and families, and they are not replaceable. To understand why COVID-19 killed so many young Black men, you need to know the legend of John Henry.

How COVID-19 Hollowed Out a Generation of Young Black Men

The Rev. Dr. Kejuane Artez Bates was a big man with big responsibilities. The arrival of the novel coronavirus in Vidalia, Louisiana, was another burden on a body already breaking under the load. Bates was in his 10th year with the Vidalia Police Department, assigned as a resource officer to the upper elementary school.

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VIRGINIA NAACP
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PO BOX 687
CULPEPER VA 22701

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