Black leaders converge at the NAACP summit
Issue date: 6/8/08 Section: Politics
PHOENIX (NNPA) - The NAACP says leaders are not born, they're developed. And, that's what they were doing as more than 300 participants gathered for the 4th Annual NAACP Leadership 500 Summit at a posh resort near Scottsdale, Ariz.
The four-day event, themed "Leadership By Design: Ensuring Our Legacy", presented a phenomenal array of speakers workshops, interactive panel discussions and general sessions led by prominent private sector, non-profit, corporate, and community leaders.
Summit Chairman Roslyn M. Brock said the summit's goal was to recruit, train and retain a new generation of civil rights advocates from all spectrums of American society.
"Attendees shared the best practices, new and fresh perspectives on how the NAACP can impact health care reform; achieve equity in education; strengthen civic engagement; reconnect with religious and faith-based institutions; stimulate wealth creation and continue to support the men and women of the United States Armed Forces."
It was started as an effort to gather young professional leaders (ages 35 - 45) from around the country to share ideas and best practices, and to have a real dialogue about the future of activism and the movement. Attendees o the late May event were representative of the public and private Sector, as well as non-profit, and church communities.
This year's summit was highlighted by newly named President and CEO Benjamin T. Jealous. The 35-year-old activist and former news executive is the youngest leader in the 99-year history of the nation's largest civil rights organization.
Jealous spoke at length about his vision for the association. He has plans for strengthening its online presence to connect with activists, mobilize public opinion and build a database for tracking racial discrimination and hate crimes; ensuring high voter turnout among Blacks in the November election; pushing an aggressive civil rights agenda, regardless of the makeup of the Congress or White House; and retooling the national office to make it more effective at helping local branches affect change in their communities. Jealous said that Blacks in America still have a hard row to hoe, and that the gains of recent decades have created a false sense of progress.
The four-day event, themed "Leadership By Design: Ensuring Our Legacy", presented a phenomenal array of speakers workshops, interactive panel discussions and general sessions led by prominent private sector, non-profit, corporate, and community leaders.
Summit Chairman Roslyn M. Brock said the summit's goal was to recruit, train and retain a new generation of civil rights advocates from all spectrums of American society.
"Attendees shared the best practices, new and fresh perspectives on how the NAACP can impact health care reform; achieve equity in education; strengthen civic engagement; reconnect with religious and faith-based institutions; stimulate wealth creation and continue to support the men and women of the United States Armed Forces."
It was started as an effort to gather young professional leaders (ages 35 - 45) from around the country to share ideas and best practices, and to have a real dialogue about the future of activism and the movement. Attendees o the late May event were representative of the public and private Sector, as well as non-profit, and church communities.
This year's summit was highlighted by newly named President and CEO Benjamin T. Jealous. The 35-year-old activist and former news executive is the youngest leader in the 99-year history of the nation's largest civil rights organization.
Jealous spoke at length about his vision for the association. He has plans for strengthening its online presence to connect with activists, mobilize public opinion and build a database for tracking racial discrimination and hate crimes; ensuring high voter turnout among Blacks in the November election; pushing an aggressive civil rights agenda, regardless of the makeup of the Congress or White House; and retooling the national office to make it more effective at helping local branches affect change in their communities. Jealous said that Blacks in America still have a hard row to hoe, and that the gains of recent decades have created a false sense of progress.
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