Community

Fight Over Vallejo NAACP Presidency Threatens to Tear Org Apart

The Vallejo branch of the NAACP was torn apart this year by the sudden death of its longtime president, Jimmie Jackson, in January. Now, a conflict has arisen over who should take his place. Letters from the organization’s state conference dated March 8 — and lawyers from its national office dated March 15 — demanded that former Vallejo City Council member Hakeem Brown abandon his claims to the position.

Published

1 year ago

April 24, 2023

Oakland Post

Photo screenshot submitted by a member of the local Vallejo NAACP branch Mark Lampkin

Mark Hedin | California Black Media

The Vallejo branch of the NAACP was torn apart this year by the sudden death of its longtime president, Jimmie Jackson, in January.

Now, a conflict has arisen over who should take his place.

Letters from the organization’s state conference dated March 8 — and lawyers from its national office dated March 15 — demanded that former Vallejo City Council member Hakeem Brown abandon his claims to the position.

As Brown tells it, he first worked with Jackson in 2017 to overcome prosecution related to being “the only Black cannabis cultivator in Napa County.” He joined the NAACP branch Jackson had led since 2008 and as the branch’s elections approached late last year, agreed to work as Jackson’s de facto lieutenant.

As Jackson’s health grew worse in January, he named Brown acting president and died unexpectedly a few days later.

Brown and his supporters maintain that Jackson’s endorsement of Brown as his successor was within his rights as president and that Brown’s position was understood and accepted at the branch’s initial meetings this year.

But those letters from the national and state NAACP offices, stated that according to organization bylaws, because Urban Strategies Council site coordinator Patricia Hunter was “duly and properly elected to the position of First Vice President,” she is first in line to take the reins “in the event of the resignation, removal or death” of the incumbent.

When Jackson was re-elected last year, Hunter, Brown and Mark Lampkin won vice-presidential seats.

There is no dispute that Hunter got the most votes of the four candidates and that Brown and Lampkin tied for second, but Brown and his supporters argue that because there was no official ranking of the vice-presidential seats, Jackson was free to later choose any of the three sitting VPs to act in his stead.

“Because there was no numerical ranking on the ballot for the election,” it was within Jackson’s authority to name Brown to fill in for him, Brown, Lampkin and 10 other members of the branch’s Executive Committee asserted in a March 9 “challenge letter” responding to the state conference’s notice.

Citing NAACP bylaws Article 7, section 2, they wrote: “The duties of the Vice President shall be: a) to perform all the duties of the President in his/her absence or disability. In case of more than one Vice President, the Vice Presidents shall be designated as first, second, third and so forth and shall perform their duties according to their numerical rank.”

“Because there was no such designation, we reject the notion that any one person was the 1^st Vice President, until such a time as Pat Hunter was elevated by Jimmie Jackson at the same time Hakeem Brown was elevated to the presidency,” the letter reads. “When our election was held, members voted for the Vice-President, not 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd Vice-President. Mr. Jackson was of sound mind when he designated Hakeem Brown President.”

Included with that letter are minutes from the branch’s Jan. 11 Executive Committee meeting in which the leadership matter was discussed.

The challenge letter also says that there were no objections to the appointment at the Feb. 8 branch meeting Brown led. Brown told California Black Media (CBM) that he stepped out of that meeting briefly to allow Hunter to oversee a vote on whether to approve his appointment, and that the entire Executive Committee, including Hunter, unanimously ratified him, with only Secretary Lynda Daniels abstaining.

Daniels, who is charged with producing the minutes of branch meetings, has not provided them for that Feb. 8 meeting.

NAACP officers seem to see it differently.

Rick Callender, California/Hawaii NAACP State Conference President, discussing the election in an email addressed to Lampkin, wrote on March 31: “You lost as you were not the top vote getter. You were not duly elected and indeed lost the election.”

The issue under discussion at that time was regaining access to the branch’s Facebook account, stemming from Hunter, who on March 7 lost access to administration privileges to the social media page.

On that page, on March 16, Lampkin, Assistant Secretary Tausha Johnson and Tamra Armstrong each posted video statements from 2 to 5 minutes long alleging a “coup” being staged against Brown by Hunter, Daniels and Hazel Wilson, another Executive Committee member.

Hunter has declined repeated requests from California Black Media to comment on the situation or her work as branch president, initially referring this reporter to Captain David Smith, NAACP California Hawaii Area Director, who deferred to Callender, who refused to comment on the record, saying he had no personal familiarity with any of the players in the drama and is only concerned with following NAACP rules and bylaws.

For questions particular to the branch, he suggested contacting Hunter, who has yet to respond to subsequent phone calls or emails.

Last week, CBM also emailed and called NAACP lawyer Janette Wallace, who signed the March 15 “cease and desist” letter sent to Brown from the organization’s national headquarters.

Neither Wallace nor the other NAACP members who had been cc’d in an emailed version of the letter and were similarly contacted responded to those requests.

At the Dec. 14 branch meeting, Brown called for congratulating Hunter for receiving an award at the 113^th NAACP convention held in Boston for 2022 College Division and Youth Advisor.

He attributes the “coup attempt” to people simply being resistant to change, citing an incident when Hunter asked him in December to relax his posture when dealing with Vallejo officials. There are also suggestions that his interest in the branch’s finances may have spurred resistance to his leadership efforts.

Photo screenshot submitted by a member of the local Vallejo NAACP branch Mark Lampkin

(The national NAACP office has not confirmed this ballot)

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

As Nation Mourns, California Debates Concealed Firearm Laws

Don't Miss

Suspect Arrested by BPD Detectives on Sexual Assault and Kidnapping Charges

Oakland Post

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

NBA Star Anthony Davis and Raven Magwood Goodson Team Up to Give Us the Full Court Advantage on Finding Tony

Review – “If I had it my way, I would have been a 20-year major leaguer going to the Hall of Fame. Obviously, my calling was acting,
The post NBA Star Anthony Davis and Raven Magwood Goodson Team Up to Give Us the Full Court Advantage on Finding Tony first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 days ago

May 31, 2024

Oakland Post

In his essay “The Decay of Lying,” in 1889, Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde wrote, “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.” One hundred thirty years later, there has been a notable shift. Art is most definitely imitating life in the independent film Finding Tony. Released on May 10, Finding Tony was the perfect film to review as we close out #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth. The film puts us in the passenger seat of a widowed former basketball player’s journey to find himself by becoming a women’s college basketball coach.

Renowned actor Stephen Bishop embodies the inspiring journey of ex-NBA player Tony Greene, whose story could be ripped from any headline today. Following the tragic loss of his wife in a home invasion, Tony spirals into clinical depression and alcoholism, facing a DUI.

It’s unclear if the release date was strategic. However, the film explores various issues on the road to redemption, including mental health, depression, grief, and alcoholism. We see these issues in sports, entertainment, and everyday life.

Mental health remains profoundly misunderstood by society. People often mistakenly confuse mental health with mental illness. Many automatically assume the presence of some type of psychological disorder when discussing mental health, which can lead to self-harm or harm to others. They tend to overlook the Tony Greenes of the world, who simply succumb to the pressures of grief, depression, and self-medication through alcohol or other vices.

In an exclusive interview, actor Stephen Bishop shared that he didn’t have to “get into character” because he was familiar with some of Tony’s emotions. Bishop recounted his personal experiences with grief, including retiring from baseball, making the decision to coach his child’s team, and experiencing some traumatic events while filming. “I was in the middle of the traumatic experience while we were filming,” he explained. “So, some of the emotions that Tony had to go through were emotions that I was actually going through. This [film] was my therapy.”

Bishop’s testimony highlights the often-overlooked aspect of mental health. We see the behavior, the reliance on useless vices, the DUIs, and the attitudes. What we don’t see are the silent struggles many people have to endure because of trauma. We are only scratching the surface of Tony’s character. The movie is a powerful reminder that mental health encompasses a range of experiences and outcomes, as seen in Destiny. This orphaned basketball powerhouse changes Tony’s trajectory. We learn that empathy and understanding are crucial in addressing these challenges. Bishop says, “Tony gets rescued by these women that he is coaching. He is down as down can be, but through his relationship with these ladies, he is able to find himself again and find his footing to become the man he is supposed to be.”

Bishop’s first leading role without a love interest was a stellar performance. Life doesn’t always look like our dreams. Bishop noted, “If I had it my way, I would have been a 20-year major leaguer going to the Hall of Fame. Obviously, my calling was acting, which afforded me the opportunity to be a coach, philanthropic, and more.” When asked what he wanted people to take away from the film, he said, “There will be things sent to destroy you, but you have the power to not let it happen because your path is the most important.” When you go through things in life, perseverance will get you through. Keep your head down and stay the course. It’s easy to fold up and go in the tank, but God didn’t put you on this earth to do that. You have your singular purpose, and you should stick with that and keep your eyes focused on it.”

Finding Tony was released on May 10 and is available on http://www.findingtonyfilm.com.

The post NBA Star Anthony Davis and Raven Magwood Goodson Team Up to Give Us the Full Court Advantage on Finding Tony first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of May 29 – June 4, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 29 – June 4, 2024

Published

2 days ago

May 31, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Guilty, Guilty, Guilty: Former President Trump Convicted on All 34 Felony Counts

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The courtroom was silent as the jury’s verdict was read aloud: “Guilty, guilty, guilty…” repeated 34 times, solidifying the former president’s fate. Trump, who is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for 2024, now faces a potential sentence ranging from probation to four years in prison. His legal team has already indicated plans to appeal, a process that could extend over several years.
The post Guilty, Guilty, Guilty: Former President Trump Convicted on All 34 Felony Counts first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 days ago

May 30, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@/StacyBrownMedia

In a historic and dramatic moment, the jury in New York delivered a resounding verdict on Wednesday, finding former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. This unprecedented decision marks the first time in American history that a former president has been convicted of criminal charges.

A hush fell over the courtroom late in the afternoon as the jury handed Judge Juan M. Merchan a note. “We the jury have a verdict. We would like an extra 30 minutes to fill out the forms if that’d be possible,” the note read. The jury had deliberated for 9.5 hours over two days after a three-week trial.

The twice-impeached, four-times indicted, and now convicted Trump faced charges connected to a $130,000 hush-money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in the days leading up to the 2016 election. The trial featured weeks of tawdry testimony about tabloid deal-making and the alleged sexual encounter between Trump and Daniels. Prosecutors argued that Trump engaged in a fraud against the American people by falsifying records related to the reimbursement of his former lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, who paid Daniels out of his own pocket.

The courtroom was silent as the jury’s verdict was read aloud: “Guilty, guilty, guilty…” repeated 34 times, solidifying the former president’s fate. Trump, who is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for 2024, now faces a potential sentence ranging from probation to four years in prison. His legal team has already indicated plans to appeal, a process that could extend over several years.

The conviction has drawn sharp reactions from political figures. Shasti Conrad, Chair of the Washington State Democratic Party, declared, “Today’s verdict out of New York affirms what the Washington State Democratic Party has been saying for more than eight years – Convicted Felon Donald Trump is wholly unfit to lead our nation,” Conrad stated. “His conviction today by a jury of his peers demonstrates the lengths Convicted Felon Trump will go to and the laws he will break to get what he wants – another four years of power at the expense of hard-working Americans. The Washington State Democratic Party will never stop fighting for a more perfect union, which is why we will continue to resist Donald Trump’s campaign of lies, grift, and autocratic desires with every fiber of our being every minute of every day until the election is over and we have prevented the end of democracy…again.”

This criminal case is one of four Trump is currently facing, but it is likely the only one that will go to trial before Election Day. Trump faces as much as four years in prison, but because he’s viewed as a first-time offender and the convictions are on low-level felonies, he’ll likely receive probation.

“Today, the criminal justice system worked,” National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Chair Bobby Henry stated. “As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. alluded to, the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” Henry said.

The NNPA is the trade association of the 250 African American-owned newspapers and media companies that comprise the Black Press of America.

“The NNPA congratulates the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, who stood up triumphantly against the criminal acts of former President Trump,” NNPA President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., stated. “In America, no one should be above the equitable rule of law. In particular, Black America knows too well the horrors of inequity and injustice. In the historic case of New York v. Trump, it now appears that in New York City, finally after centuries of racial oppression, the gavel of justice has now come down on one of the nation’s most zealous criminals who unrepentantly desires to return to the White House in 2024.”

The post Guilty, Guilty, Guilty: Former President Trump Convicted on All 34 Felony Counts first appeared on BlackPressUSA.