“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality…. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
GAME CHANGERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURYGAME CHANGER #1: HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES
The St. Louis City NAACP is committed to improving the health and well being of African-American families and people of color. It is also committed to eliminating the racial and ethnic disparities in our health system that plaque people of color. In addition, the NAACP is engaged in the workforce development movement to increase the number of minorities represented in the medical and public health profession. The NAACP focuses not only on disease prevention but on the social and environmental factors that affect health and wellness. African-Americans still have the highest incidence, prevalence and mortality rates from chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Issues like HIV and infant mortality have continued to overwhelm the Black community. Systematic imbalances in the health care delivery system disapportionately affect African-Americans and Latinos more than their White counterparts. ▪ GAME CHANGER #2: ECONOMIC STABILITY The St. Louis City NAACP recognizes the importance of the economy and economic issues in advancing an equal opportunity society and aims to address the challenging economic realities facing the St. Louis community (e.g. disapportionate high employment, poverty and foreclosures). The St. Louis City NAACP works to enhance the capacity of African-Americans and other underserved groups through financial economic education, promoting diversity and inclusion in business hiring, career advancement and procurement, monitoring financial banking practices and promoting community economic development. Every person should have equal opportunity to achieve economic success, sustainability and financial security. ▪ GAME CHANGER #3: PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE The St. Louis City NAACP will fight to end disproportionate incarceration, racially motivated policing strategies, and racially biased, discriminatory and mandatory minimum sentence. The St. Louis City NAACP will collaborate with Public Safety agencies, associations and organizations to help increase minority numbers in hiring, retention and leadership positions within Public Safety agencies. The St. Louis City NAACP will also partner with and seek involvement (e.g. volunteer recruitment, disaster response and preparedness) with entities such as the American Red Cross and others. ▪ GAME CHANGER #4: PRESERVING CLIMATE CONTROL Global climate change has a disproportionate impact on communities of color in the United States and the world. The St. Louis City NAACP’s Climate Justice Initiative was created to educate and mobilize the community to address the impact of climate change on our community as well as opportunities for leadership in a new green economy. The NAACP will advance an advocacy agenda that promotes policies on issues such as clean energy, transportation, equality, food justice, equity in urban/rural development, economic empowerment/green economy, education justice, disaster planning and housing justice.
▪ GAME CHANGER #5: VOTING RIGHTS AND POLITICAL REPRESENTATION
The St. Louis City NAACP will work to assure that all citizens have a free, open, equal and protected access to the vote and fair representation at all levels of the political process. By protecting democracy, enhancing equity and increasing democratic participation and civic engagements, minority Americans will be proportionately elected to political office. The St. Louis City NAACP conducts voter registration mobilization to increase the responsiveness of African-Americans to be fully engaged in the democratic process. ▪ GAME CHANGER #6: PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT The St. Louis City NAACP believes that future leaders must be developed today and such development is on-going in the Youth & College Division. The St. Louis City NAACP continues to coordinate mentoring programs to serve as a support bridge from Youth and College to Branch participation and to provide networking and social opportunities for young adults. Like generations before them, young people continue to be a driving force for change in our country. ▪ GAME CHANGER #7: PROMOTING EQUALITY IN EDUCATION The St. Louis City NAACP’s Education Program strives to ensure that all students have access to a free, high quality, equitably-funded, public pre-k and k-12 education followed by diverse opportunities for accessible, affordable vocational or university education. |
