Jim, I actually deliberately said "power structure" instead of "white power structure" since as Jim pointed out, there were white people on both sides of the NAACP battle, and one can also argue whether the power structure is completely white (although most would agree that it is mostly white). The more important point that is partly getting missed is that the traditional and usually dominant faction of the Minneapolis NAACP is aligned and intertwined with the groups that run the city's governing institutions, and usually tends to effectively support a status quo agenda. The insurgent faction of the NAACP wants to challenge the power structure and more aggeessively take on racial injustice and inequality.
During the 1999 leadership struggle discussed in the City Pages, the incumbent insurgent leadership under the presidency of Leola Seals was very outspoken and aggressive on civil rights issues. They organized demonstrations against at Minneapolis Board of Education meetings in conjunction with their lawsuit against the state of Minnesota for educational segregation, held a press conference against CODEFOR when challenging the Minneapolis police seemed politically unthinkable, was in the process of parting with the City and the Legal Aid Soceity in the implementation of the Hollman settlement which was proving to be a scam to get federal funding for gentrification under the guise of improving and desgregating public housing, and was supporting alterantive economic development to the Cherryhomes-Belton machine. The conservative faction led by Jefferson was clearly aiming to get rid of the NAACP as a threat to the power structure (which did have both African American and white leadership). They did succeed in the short run through tactics that were highly suspect to put it mildly, but the chapter has never recovered. The conflict that is now in the news seems to be between the conservative faction that is not only aligned with but is also part of the Minneapolis Board of Education versus those that want to take on those in power. The personality conflicts emphasized by Doug Grow are a convenient diversion from the substantive conflict. Jordan Kushner Golden Valley works downtown ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Bernstein" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Jordan S. Kushner'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, October 05, 2003 6:17 PM Subject: RE: [Mpls] Doug Grow on Mpls NAACP infighting > JORDAN - Thanks for the City Pages link! I remembered the story as soon > as I opened the link. > > I also recall reading the story at that time and wondering what the > cover and headline of the City Pages story had to do with the article. > The fact that Richard Jefferson encouraged his supporters to join the > NAACP to vote for him seemed like, well, the sort of thing that one does > to win elections. The fact that some of his supporters were white did > not seem especially newsworthy since Ms. Seales also had white > supporters. > > It is fair I guess to include Rep. Kahn, former House Speaker Long, > former Mayor Fraser and Ms. Fraser as part of the "white power > structure" but by voting in that election, it hardly seems that they > were part of a group trying to take over or push the direction of the > NAACP in some direction that is favorable to them or the "white power > structure". > > I am not a member of the NAACP. As an outsider, it does seem quite > apparent though that the internal leadership struggles inside the local > NAACP branch are between different "factions" of the black community > jousting for position and not a power grab by the "white power > structure". > > Jim Bernstein > Fulton > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Jordan S. Kushner > Sent: Sunday, October 05, 2003 8:36 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [Mpls] Doug Grow on Mpls NAACP infighting > > Historical memory. Here is a much more comprehensive of the power > struggles > at the NAACP, and - believe it or not - the role of the power structure: > > http://www.citypages.com/databank/20/954/article7354.asp > > > Jordan Kushner > Golden Valley > works downtown > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jim Bernstein" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "'Michelle Gross'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Saturday, October 04, 2003 11:21 PM > Subject: RE: [Mpls] Doug Grow on Mpls NAACP infighting > > > > Good grief! Blaming the "white power structure" for the infighting at > > the NAACP makes about as much sense as blaming a black power structure > > for the infighting at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)! > > > > Organizations of all types oftentimes go through internal struggles > for > > control of the organization. It is not rare, it is not pleasant to > > experience, it is not entertaining to watch, and it is usually not > > productive. But, it does occur rather routinely. > > > > It happens to private corporations, to family businesses, to churches, > > to big non-profit, to small non-profits, to charities, to political > > organizations, and even to advocacy organizations. > > > > Jim Bernstein > > Fulton > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > > Of Michelle Gross > > Sent: Friday, October 03, 2003 5:57 AM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: Re: [Mpls] Doug Grow on Mpls NAACP infighting > > > > Anyone even marginally aware of the struggle within the NAACP knows > that > > it > > is about efforts by the white power structure to insert their > operatives > > > > into the organization to maintain the status quo. > > > > The NAACP was going to be given money to monitor the consent decree in > > the > > lawsuit against the school board: Gallmon, a school board member, > > becomes > > president without ever having to be elected to the position (Shayla > > Lindsey > > KNEW she had been promoted and was leaving town WHEN she ran for > > president > > and added Gallmon to the slate for first VP). Prior efforts have > > included > > having folks who side with the city on the Hollman decree insert > > themselves > > into the leadership of the group. > > > > Personally I find Ron Edwards abrasive as hell, but this isn't about > > Edwards. It is about a group of folks who want the organization to > stay > > > > true to its mission and not be a front for the folks downtown to > > manipulate > > the Black community. > > > > The current tactic is to try to suspend or revoke the membership of > > those > > people who have asked for accountability from the leadership. This is > a > > > > leadership that has violated national rules by refusing to get the > books > > > > audited. A partial audit showed improper spending by that same > > leadership > > and, at that point, the full audit was shut down. > > > > That same leadership exchanged emails about how to frame things so all > > membership votes on key issues would require a super majority. This > > would > > allow the executive committee to overrule the member votes. One > result > > is > > that the membership voted to refuse the funds for the "parent > > information > > centers" and, minutes later, the executive committee (in a closed > > meeting > > with no minutes produced) voted to take the money. > > > > These tactics are as old as the books and they are used on just about > > every > > community of color. When whites want to control mineral rights on > > American > > Indian reservations, they insert bought-off people into leadership on > > the > > tribal councils. Etc., etc. ad nauseum. > > > > How nice of Doug Grow to ride in on a white horse and defend the > > usurpation > > of this once fine organization by those who have manipulated it to > > maintain > > the status quo and control the Black community's access to > > resources. Shame on him! > > > > Michelle Gross > > Bryn Mawr > > > > At 10:07 PM 10/1/03 -0500, Peter T Schmitz wrote: > > >Thank you, Doug Grow, for separating the good Negroes from the bad > > >Negroes.-------------------Peter Schmitz CARAG > > > > REMINDERS: > > 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. > > 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. > > ________________________________ > > > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn > > E-Democracy > > Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls > > > > > > > > REMINDERS: > > 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at > [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. > > 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. > > ________________________________ > > > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn > E-Democracy > > Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls > > > > > > > > REMINDERS: > 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at > [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. > 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. > ________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn > E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls > > > > > REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! 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