The Texas State Conference of NAACP Units is proud to hold its 77th Annual Convention at the Doubletree Hotel by Hilton in Richardson, Texas. This state conference is poised to focus on many issues which address the access to publicly funded resources, equal protection under the law, quality of life issues, and State Board of Education Member Mavis Knight, and Jerry Mitchell, the investigative reporter who helped resolve several cold case civil rights murders.
Texas State Conference President and National Board Member Gary Bledsoe said, “Texans are being confronted with that we have not seen for decades. Many battles that provided better access to education, health care, civil liberties for low to moderate income Texans are being strategically and systematically challenged by well funded interests. During the last year we have fought legislative districts drawn with discriminatory purposes, voter identification policies designed to intimidate voters for partisan purposes, and an educational infrastructure that does not always address the needs of students participating in a global economy. We have a parallel, but fully integrated conference for our Youth and College Division. Texas students have been recognized for several consecutive years, at the National Convention, as the most effective youth in the country. We are committed to creating genuine learning and training opportunities for the next generation of NAACP leadership. The mission of the NAACP is as clear today as it has ever been. We will not back away from our historic mission.”
The Conference has confirmed leaders from across the state and the country to discuss the issues associated with current and proposed programs which have a real impact on our ability to educate our children and raise our families to participate in achieving full citizenship. On Thursday, we will have workshops dealing with how to fight against the push to use public resources to sanction Confederate Flags culminating with a town hall about various voting irregularities that has occurred over the past year. We will
document the testimony of people from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and across the state, who have experienced obstacles when trying to vote. On Friday, we will have Charles Lowery, NAACP Director of Fair Lending and Inclusion, to address issues concerning credit, inclusion and jobs. Ana Yanez-Correa, Director of the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, and Howard Jefferson will participate in workshops that deal with our efforts to fight the school to prison pipeline, disparities in the criminal justice system, and the impact of new laws associated with criminal justice in the State of Texas.
State Conference leaders will present information and offer services in several areas. The State Education Committee will present a “Parent’s Guide” to assist parents in assisting their students from middle school through high school and understanding the roles and responsibilities for all professionals in the education infrastructure. The State Health Committee will address access to affordable health care in a town hall meeting on October 11, 2013 from 11 am to 1 pm at the Willie B. Johnson Recreation Center (12225 Willowdale Drive in Dallas, Texas). Professionals will be on site to assist people in enrolling for health care and free dental screenings are being sponsored by HEB. The State Veterans Affairs Committee will host a workshop to provide information to access resources for veterans and wounded warriors. The Economic Development Committee will provide a workshop on entrepreneurism and access to business assistance for business owners and those interested in starting a business.
Experts will discuss the significant issues critical to the future of the State of Texas concerning redistricting and voter identification. We will thoroughly explore the core principles within both issues, including: (i) what local jurisdictions have been doing to infringe on minority voting rights and why Texas needs to be covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (by using Section 3c); (ii) what needs to be done to ensure that all eligible voters are able to vote under Texas’ Voter Identification law and how we can help those who are disenfranchised. The workshop will discuss the current political and legal climate in the area of voter participation. The legal team will also discuss best practices for organizing communities to address changes in the law concerning voting rights.
These issues will define whether many communities will survive or thrive. The NAACP remains committed to working Civil Rights and Social Justice for all. We will be honoring several Texans and other prominent figures, who have worked to achieve social equity in our state and nation. Honorees include:
1. Former Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson as the 2013 Texas Hero for his role in fighting for low income Texans to have a fair and proper representation at criminal trials;
2. Mollie Finch Belt, Publisher Dallas Examiner, as another 2013 Texas Hero. She has worked tirelessly to make sure that African Americans are aware of what is going on around Texas and the country;
3. Bob Lydia, Texas NAACP 1st Vice President and NAACP National Board Member, as Texas NAACP Hero for 2013 for his dedication to fighting for the voiceless and making sure that African Americans receive the help that they have needed in Texas.
Garland Branch of the NAACP and the Texas State Conference of NAACP Branches cordially invite all people of good will to attend and participate in the 77th Annual State Convention. The challenges facing Texas are historic. We are meeting to address issues that impact all of our communities and want to develop an agenda to secure, protect, and defend the rights guaranteed to each of us by the Constitutions of Texas and the United States of America.
