|
The NAACP Needs the Support of Our Pastors |
We have one of the strongest and most active NAACP branches in the South. Sumter County is blessed to have a leader like Matt Wright who has accomplished so much. Our local church pastors know the importance of having a group that is bold enough to speak truth to power. Our NAACP took on the local newspaper, The Americus Times Recorder, and ran them out of Sumter County. They now operate their newspaper from Thomasville, GA. When the notorious Sumter County Sheriff Randy Howard was defeated, it was the NAACP that called a press conference in February that exposed his abuses and racism which led to his losing the election in November that year. The NAACP fought an abusive and racist Americus Police named Michael Yates. The organization sent vice president Craig Walker to several City Council Meetings to inform and protest Yates' lawless behavior. He was subsequently run out of Americus. Our illustrious NAACP took on Sumter Regional Hospital for racial discrimination of employees led by John Marshall, MD. They retaliated by taking Dr Marshall's privileges which resulted in a lawsuit. The hospital administrator, Jerry Adams, was ousted shortly thereafter. Jerry Adams was replaced by David Seagraves who mismanaged
and drove the hospital into bankruptcy. Phoebe Putney Hospital
leased our hospital for forty years and Seagraves was removed.
The NAACP warned the community of Seagraves' ineptness but the
Hospital Authority sat and watched him dismantle our only
hospital. We had to defend Nelson Brown who ran for sheriff against Sheriff Randy Howard and the Times Recorder praised Howard and smeared Brown. We defended Dr Marshall who was lambasted in the Times Recorder by printing the truth in the Observer which shut down many of the lies in the Times Recorder. We fought the Times Recorder hard when they ran several full page articles against Sumter County School principal, Victoria Harris over very trivial matters. A disgruntled White teacher pulled forces together to go after MRS Harris and used the Times Recorder to help scandalize her name. Our NAACP fought the Times Recorder when they tried to degrade and smear NAACP leaders, vice president Craig Walker and president Matt Wright. Our NAACP can never be accused of attacking only Whites for discriminatory and racist acts, they have gone after Blacks who have operated against the best interest of their people. The NAACP and the ASO exposed people like city councilwoman Eloise Paschal and County Commissioner Andrea Pearlette Brooks for voting against their own people. We exposed Rev Michael Coley and Fred McLaughlin for not representing Blacks on the Sumter County Hospital Authority. We ran Chief Charlie Whitehead out of Americus for his anti-Black behavior as chief. So, the local NAACP has not been discriminatory when it comes to dealing with anti Black behavior whether done by a Black or White person or persons. The organization has fought for White people who were discriminated against. We said all of that to show how valuable the NAACP is to our community. The work is difficult and dangerous but somebody has to do it. If our NAACP is the watchdog of the rights of Blacks then your dog needs to be fed. We are emphasizing the leaders of the churches in Sumter County but all of the civic organizations need to support the NAACP as well. We thank the numerous churches and organizations that never fail to support the major fundraiser, the NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet. Many churches have not supported them in the past few years and they are appealing to the churches and organizations to raise some money for the NAACP if you miss the annual Freedom Fund Banquet. Your dog still has to be fed in order to fight for you. In closing, God asked Moses [man of God] to go tell Pharoah
[the government] to let my people go. If our ministers and
pastors are not confronting the Pharoah of our day, then at
least they can support the NAACP who is filling in for them. |
|
|
