Illinois State Conference NAACP
The most vital jobs in the NAACP are done by our army of volunteers in local branches throughout Illinois. Our volunteers give their time and energies on the committees which guard the interest of minority group citizens every day.
ACT-SO
Bryan W. Hudson, State Coordinator
Email: schiactso@gmail.com
Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological, and Scientific Olympics is an academic and talent enrichment program designed to encourage high achievement among African-American high school students. The ACT-SO program centers around the dedication and commitment of community volunteers and business leaders to serve as mentors and coaches to promote academic and artistic excellence among African-American students. There are 32 categories of competition in the STEM humanities, performing visual arts, and culinary.
ARMED FORCES AND VETERAN’S AFFAIRS
Kathy Davis, Chair
Email: kdavis@illinoisnaacp.org
The Committee on Armed Services and Veteran’s; Affairs shall: (1) study conditions pertaining to veterans in the community; (2) serve as a center of information on material issued affecting African American veterans; (3) serve as a source of information to veterans and their families seeking information on government agencies serving veterans and; (4) receive and act on all veteran’s; complaints relative to discrimination on account of race, color or creed, or denial of benefits in local areas because of discrimination.
COMMUNICATIONS
Dr. Carla Campbell-Jackson, Chair
Email: Cjacksoncampbell@illinoisnaacp.org
The function of the Communication, Press & Publicity Committee is to: (1) seek to promote media content consistent with fundamental NAACP goals which include the elimination of racial isolation and fear and the furtherance of multiracial and cultural understandings; (2) work to eliminate employment segregation and discrimination in those industries, comprising the communications arts and sciences (radio, telephone, television, motion pictures, newspapers, books, related computer communications, business, and cable television); (3) seek to ensure minority ownership and control of print and electronic media; both hardware and software; (4) monitor local and national media, especially advertising performance; (5) provide the National office with research and data on those local business engaged in communications arts and sciences and; (6) seek to ensure that all people have a meaningful right to choose from and have access to a variety of high quality telecommunications goods and services at reasonable costs.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Robert “Bob” Moore, Chair
Email: rmoore@illinoisnaacp.org
The NAACP Criminal Justice Committee aims to advocate for and advance a better public safety system that reduces the reliance on prisons as a means of solving social problems, advances effective law enforcement, and removes barriers to voting and employment for formerly incarcerated people. The Criminal Justice Department will accomplish its goal in ways that are responsive to individual needs and builds stronger families and communities. In efforts to advance Criminal Justice goals, the Criminal Justice Department has developed a “smart and safe” framework to implement an advocacy agenda to ensure public safety as a civil and human right for all communities and more specifically the many communities in crisis. Instead of calling for “tough on crime” rhetoric and lock’em up practices, Smart and Safe was developed to capture the true goals and aspirations of how public safety and criminal justice institutions should operate and perform in communities. Our communities will only become safer when trust is built between the criminal justice system and the communities they serve, when more help and services are provided as opposed to prison, when citizens coming home from prison can vote and work freely and when we expand and reinvest our prison budgets on education and other civic institutions that helps and serves communities.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Walt Williams, Chair
Email: wwilliams@illinoisnaacp.org
The Economic Development committee is to promote the growth of entrepreneurship among African Americans and increase employment opportunities with private and public entities. The Economic Development Committee shall implement local efforts and support national programs to preserve and expand economic empowerment among African Americans and other communities of color.
EDUCATION
Sandra Williams Leconte, Ed.D., Chair
Email: sleconte@illinoisnaacp.org
The NAACP National Education Program strives to ensure that all students have access to equal and high-quality public education by eliminating education-related racial and ethnic disparities in our public schools. The function of the Education Committee is to: (1) seek to eliminate segregation and other discriminatory practices in public education; (2) study local educational conditions affecting minority groups; (3)investigate the public school system and school zoning; (4) familiarize itself with textbook material used in the school and seek to eliminate material there from which is racially derogatory; (5) seek to stimulate school attendance; (6) keep informed of school conditions and strive to correct abuses where found and; (7) aim to be a center of popular education on the race question and on the work of the association.
ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE JUSTICE
James Johnson, Chair
Email: Jjohnson@illinoisnaacp.org
When folks think about climate change, what often comes to mind are melting ice caps and suffering polar bears. In the past, and to some extent still now, when people think of environmentalism, they often think of saving whales or hugging trees! Historically, American society has failed to make the connection in terms of the direct impact of environmental injustices, including climate change, on our own lives, families, and communities, which depend on the physical environment and its bounty. Toxic facilities, like coal-fired power plants and incinerators, are emitting mercury, arsenic, lead, and other contaminants into the water, food, and lungs of communities. Many of these same facilities are also emitting carbon dioxide and methane – the #1 and #2 drivers of climate change. At the same time, not all are equally impacted. For example, race – even more than class – is the number one indicator for the placement of toxic facilities in this country. And communities of color and low-income communities are often the hardest hit by climate change.
FINANCE
Paulette Crank, Chair
Email: pcrank@illinoisnaacp.org
The Finance Committee shall: (1) consist of the president, treasurer, and at least one other member; (2) study the financial needs of the branch; (3) be responsible for drafting an adequate annual budget; (4) draft the annual branch budget with the executive committee and ask each standing committee to give an estimate of budgetary needs for the year.
HEALTH
Chair
Email:
Facebook.com/illinoisNAACPStateHealth
The committee shall: (1) consist of the president, treasurer, and at least one other member; (2) study the financial needs of the branch; (3) be responsible for drafting an adequate annual budget; (4) draft the annual branch budget with the executive committee and ask each standing committee to give an estimate of budgetary needs for the year.
HOUSING
Phyllis Logan, Chair
Email: plogan@illinoisnaacp.org
The Housing Committee shall: (1) study housing conditions in the local community; (2) receive and seek to adjust complaints of discrimination; (3) oppose all restrictive practices whether public or private and; (4) disseminate information and render such other assistance which may eliminate discrimination in housing.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
James Bass, Chair
Email: jbass@springfieldnaacp.org
Debug issues that arise with the performance of the website. Make sure everything is functioning properly on the website. Webmasters need to be the liaison between IT partners and NAACP. They will be the ones who address issues with your hosting company or email service provider. Maintaining a strong relationship with these partners will allow your webmaster to tweak hardware to avoid downtime.
This involves areas including content, links, order flows, registration flows and transaction logs. If problems arise with these areas of the site, the webmaster will make corrections directly or delegate the task to other members of the IT department.
LABOR & INDUSTRY COMMITTEE
Calvin Pitts, Chair
Email: cpitts@illinoisnaacp.org
The function of the Labor Industry Committee is to: (1) seek ways to improve the economic status of minority groups by working to eliminate discriminatory employment practices in industry and government, wage differentials based on race, unequal opportunities for training and promotion, unfair dismissals; (2) encourage greater participation in the trade union movement; (3) work the enactment of state and federal fair employment practices legislation and; (4) work to improve opportunities in vocational and apprenticeship training; (5) provide competent vocational guidance and training on an integrated basis for young African American, e.g., to make it possible for competent, highly trained African Americans to compete on an equal basis for managerial, scientific, skilled, professional and other desirable jobs and to encourage qualified African American youths to seek admission to local apprenticeship training programs and; (6) work for the attainment of equality of opportunity in on-the-job training in upgrading and promotions in pay scales and in seniority.
MEMBERSHIP
Margret Childress, Chair
Email: mchildress@illinoisnaacp.org
Looking to give a friend or family member a gift? How about giving them membership into one of America’s strongest communities: the NAACP. Give a gift membership today. When you become a member of the NAACP, you are doing more than joining an organization; you are becoming a part of a community. Our membership community is the reason we’ve been able to protect, defend, and fight for our civil rights and human rights for over a century. If you care about fighting the racial disparities that are still too prevalent in America, the NAACP is the place where you can make a difference. The function of the Membership Committee is to: (1) work throughout the year to maintain and increase the membership of the Association; (2) be responsible for planning and organizing the annual membership campaign; and (3) be responsible on a continuous basis for soliciting new members and for securing renewals.
PARLIAMENTARIAN
Lenita Sims Spears, Chair
Email: Lsimsspears@illinoisnaacp.org
The NAACP Illinois State Parliamentarian is the official advisor to the Illinois State President and Executive Board by providing an interpretation of the Standing Rules of the Illinois State NAACP and advising the Presiding Officer on how to respond to inquiries and motions. and ensuring general parliamentary procedures are followed. The role of the State Parliamentarian is advisory and is appointed by the State President.
POLITICAL ACTION
Brittany Grimes, Chair
Email: bgrimes@illinoisnaacp.org
This year, the NAACP register hundreds of thousands of Americans to vote and equip vulnerable communities with the resources to fight back against attacks on fundamental voting rights through our nationwide campaign, This is My Vote. Visit the This Is My Vote microsite for more information or register to vote online or call 1-866-MyVote1 to register by phone. The function of the Political Action Committee is to: (1) seek to increase registration and voting; (2) work for the enactment of municipal, state, and federal legislation designed to improve the educational, political, and economic status of minority groups; (3) seek the repeal of racially discriminatory legislation; (4) work to secure equal enforcement of the law and; (5) keep the National Office and the conference informed of all proposed legislation which affects minority groups. The Political Action Committee shall be non-partisan and shall not endorse candidates for public office.
Today all of us face great challenges. For African Americans, the challenges are even steeper: Rising unemployment and targeted defunding of the public safety net, increasing hate crime and hate speech, deep and persistent divestment of urban areas where Black and Brown people are concentrated, and a foreclosure crisis that has literally changed the face of major cities throughout the US. Our communities are disproportionately impacted by a host of social and economic issues, and a correct census profile can help address these issues by ensuring that appropriate funding is being infused into underserved communities for government services, strong political representation, and civil rights enforcement. In the past, African-Americans, Hispanics, and low-income residents have been more likely to be undercounted than other people in the census. This means our communities are more likely to lose political representation and much-needed funding in areas most in need. Being counted helps our communities get more of the respect, resources, and representation we deserve. Thank you for all your hard work in making sure we counted every American. Your participation made a big difference.
LEGAL REDRESS
Attorney Lynne Chambers, Chair
Email: lchambers@illinoisnaacp.org
Since 1909, the NAACP has maintained a legendary legacy for fighting legal battles to win social justice for all Americans. The NAACP Legal Department maintains an active docket of Civil Rights cases, frequently in conjunction with a team of cooperating lawyers around the nation who work daily in the courts alongside the Legal Department to address Civil Rights violations and forge the way in the fight to prevent the erosion of Civil Rights law in this country.
The Legal Redress investigates civil rights complaints and keeps units and the National Office informed about relevant litigation.
RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
Dr. William D. Rosser, Chair
Email: wdrosser@illinoisnaacp.org
The Religious Affairs Committee shall include ministerial and lay religious leaders who are members of the branch. It shall: (1) promote an educational program designed to give a moral and ethical interpretation to the civil rights struggle; (2) interpret the work of the Association to organize religious groups of all faiths; (3) enlist the support of such organized religious groups for membership, fundraising and the struggle for equality and full civil rights; and (4) provide resource assistance for religious education and social action activities associated with the improvement of race relations.
WOMEN IN NAACP (WIN)
Sheila Nelson, Chair
Email:snelson@illinoisnaacp.org
While much progress has been made in the area of gender equality over the past two decades, women of the 21st century continue to face challenges in the form of unequal pay, peer pressure, rising college costs, and a glass ceiling in the workforce. Women In NAACP, alongside the hosts of the new one-hour daily syndicated talk show “The Real,” will discuss how women can empower themselves and other young women to be trailblazers that move through the world confidently. In a live “Girl Chat” segment, as seen on “The Real,” the hosts will join Women In NAACP to address the topics real women want to talk about that aren’t being explored on TV today, from balancing motherhood, marriage, and work, and “having it all,” to what defines an empowered woman.
YOUTH & COLLEGE
Davida Brown, Chair
Email: dbrown@illinoisnaacp.org
The Youth Council Advisor shall assist Youth Councils and College Chapters in achieving NAACP goals. The Committee on Youth Work shall consist of a Youth Council Advisor(s), the Youth Council President(s), and five (5) persons appointed by the State President. The Youth council Advisor shall chair the committee. The NAACP believes strongly that future leaders must be developed today, and such development is ongoing in the Youth & College Division, created in 1936. Today there are more than 25,000 young people, under the age of 25, representing 700 Youth Councils, High School Chapters, and College Chapters actively involved in the fight for civil rights. The NAACP has one of the largest organized groups of young people of any secular organization in the country. The mission of the NAACP Youth & College Division shall be to inform youth of the problems affecting African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities; to advance the economic, education, social and political status of African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities and their harmonious cooperation with other peoples; to stimulate an appreciation of the African Diaspora and other people of color’s contribution to civilization; and to develop an intelligent, militant effective youth leadership.