Dear NAACP true families, friends, and communities who remain working diligently to eradicate racism within our environments, I wish you all a safe and wonderful new year and a Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
As I look forward to this new year, I am reminded of the continued success in which we’ve accomplished amidst any strife.
I am honored to be able to share with you that we’ve helped our communities, students, and families just within our very own ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural Technological & Scientific Olympics) Committee.
To date, we’ve:
Partnered with “Youth and Family Link” which encompassed 4 vaccine clinics; 38 Black People received the COVID-19 vaccine.
Partnered with Humble Beginnings Church, whereby 40 Thanksgiving food boxes and spice bags were provided to our African American diaspora communities.
Partnered with LULAC - League of United Latin American Citizens for 5 food box giveaways Event; 300 families received food boxes.
30 BIPOC and Russian women received Breast Exam and NAACP Vancouver spice bags.
In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, LGBQT communities utilized the Naacp Vancouver office as a safe and quiet space. 71 community members attended and we donated $300 for refreshments.
We sponsored a Voting Right and Voting Registration Vendor table for our BIPOC communities.
It was our 2nd year, involving 256 participants, as we partnered with DOH to provide backpacks and health information for the Black Vancouver, Washington, and nearby communities.
Our Religious Affairs Committee has also endured success by reaching thousands of our students and families by producing our first ever for the NAACP, a Clergy Meet and Greet, and organizing as well as participating in Prayer Walks for our local Vancouver, Washington BIPOC populated schools. In her own words, our Dr. Reverend Joyce Smith states, “We are trying to repair the damage of the wounded, lost, and left behind”. Our Education Committee participated in organizing book clubs and financial literacy workshops during the 2023 year.
Our Criminal Justice Committee has successfully completed sheriff interviews to promote accountable law enforcement within our communities. This is vital as we continually bridge all gaps between our communities and law enforcement to further best practices for community relationships. Additionally, this committee was strategically involved in reviewing bodycam policies, procedures, and video processes. Since my presidency, this is the very first time our local NAACP Vancouver, Washington branch has had such a committee, extremely devoted to bettering our law enforcement and community relationships.
Lastly, 2023 began with finally getting our NAACP branch successfully compliant, partnering with EventBuilder, ushering in our Executive Consultant as well as bringing on an accountant to aid in the reconciliation of our past accounts.
I am continually amazed and grateful for how we began 2023 by sustaining as well as creating new partnerships that will last forever.
We have pushed along as we’ve made great strides in providing to our most ostracised communities. We understand and have provided help where it's needed as our communities continually experience housing, food, and educational insecurities.
Our work is never done.
We continue to surpass what was left before us and thrive in creating better communities as we continue to carve out new trajectories.
If you’re up to the challenge of eradicating all racism, ill-mannered behaviors, and eradicating all lack of respect for our African American diaspora communities, I invite you to join us as we continually take on another year, progressing as we did just in all of 2023.
May each of you be continually blessed and I pray you all enjoy a warm and grateful Martin Luther King Jr. holiday!
Blessings Always,
~ President Yolanda Frazier, Vancouver Washington NAACP Ch. 1139-b