Reading Branch NAACP President’s Message

It’s a pleasure to welcome you to our Centennial Celebration Freedom Fund Gala, celebrating NAACP’s 100th year, “One Hundred Years of Serving People”. 

For the past 1OO years, people of different races, ethnicities and backgrounds have been inspired by the work of this great organization.  I too have been motivated by the call to action and I’m very hopeful about the future.

We truly stand on the shoulders of many civil rights giants; some of the portraits of the founders of the NAACP are on the front cover of tonight’s program. I honor the spirit, legacy, dedication and fierce activism of the freedom fighters of yesterday and those of today who face and continue to face adversity while laboring in the leadership of this worthy organization.

For a century now, the NAACP has fought to bring justice and racial equality to all of America. The founders of the NAACP offer an important lesson on how such a diverse group can accomplish so much. The men and women, black and white from different backgrounds, from different careers, and from different religions came together to create a force for good. The NAACP is an organization that has made a difference from the very beginning.

Over the past 100 years the NAACP broke through racial barriers methodically, battling in the streets, and the courts. Forcing change and changing minds.

Our founders could not have dreamed that our centennial would coincide with the inauguration of the first African American President, Barack Obama. We know we played a role in this triumph; sadly, we know our work is not done.

Your membership in the NAACP is an opportunity to give back to the organization that has done more to change this country for the betterment of people of color, women, and the disenfranchised than any other in the nation's history.

Our journey remains unfinished. African Americans and other racial minorities suffer disproportionately from the economic recession. We are seeing a rise in hate crimes and police killings, and there is still not a level playing field in economic and educational opportunities for every community.

We must commit time to make a positive difference in our neighborhoods and communities. Most importantly, the investment of our time and commitment has made and will make the real difference between success and failure. With more we can do more.

My goal for the Reading Branch NAACP is to achieve a position of respect and unity within the community and to use my position as a servant to help others.

Robert S. Jefferson
President
Reading Branch NAACP