It is my honor to write to you as your newly elected President and CEO.

In the face of a brutal and near-daily national assault on civil rights and progressive issues, the NAACP has recognized the immediate need for a leader to guide the organization during its strategic re-envisioning process.

The NAACP has a long legacy of activism and civil rights leadership, but I am committed to retooling and refreshing the Association to best confront 21-century challenges. As president, I seek to shepherd the Association into a period of growth and strength: building our field, our funds, and our force as a champion of civic engagement. I will use every tactic in our playbook to ensure that African Americans can achieve equality in the United States.

Will you join me?

Looking forward,
Derrick 

NAACP
 

Do the Right Thing Film Flyer

Scholarships for Students

Attending college can be quite expensive for students and their families. Luckily, there are many college scholarships and contests available to help pay for a college education. Students should seek out and apply for scholarships in which they meet the eligibility requirements. Below are a handful of scholarships with September 2017 due dates:

Only brief information about each scholarship is listed. Therefore, students are encouraged to visit the scholarship websites to get further details about eligibility and requirements.

Gates Scholarship

Sponsor: The Gates Scholarship

Amount: Cost of attendance that is not already covered by other financial aid and the EFC
Closing Date: September 15, 2017
Description: Scholarship is open to exceptional, Pell-eligible, minority, high school seniors who are student leaders. Ideal candidates will have an outstanding academic record in high school (top 10% of graduating class), demonstrated leadership ability, and exceptional personal success skills.

We the Future Contest
Sponsor: Constituting America
Amount: Varied based on class standing
Closing Date: September 17, 2017
Description: Contest is open to K-12 students, college students, law school students, graduate schools students, adults 25 years of age and older, and seniors 65 years of age and older. Each age group has different requirements, so applicants should visit website for details.

Siemens Competition
Sponsor: Siemens Foundation
Amount: Up to $100,000
Closing Date: September 19, 2017
Description: Competition is open to individuals and teams of up to three students in grades nine through 12. Students are encouraged to do research in mathematics, engineering, biological, or physical science.

Questbridge Scholars
Sponsor: Questbridge
Amount: Full Tuition
Closing Date: September 27, 2017
Description: Program is open to high school seniors who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or students, regardless of citizenship, currently attending high school in the United States. Applicant must have primarily A’s in the most challenging courses available, be in the top 5-10% of their graduating class, have a 1310 on the SAT or PSAT or 28 on the ACT. Finalists typically come from households earning less than $65,000 annually for a family of four, and often less. The program is only open for students considering one or more of Questbridge’s college partners (see website for details).

Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship
Sponsor: Digital Responsibility
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: September 30, 2017
Description: Scholarship is open to high school students in grades 9-12 and current college or graduate school students. Applicant must complete a short form and share a 140-character statement explaining why they will not text and drive.

Scholarship Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Live Poets Society of New Jersey
Amount: Up to $500
Closing Date: September 30, 2017
Description: Scholarship is open to all U.S. high school students. Applicant must submit an original poem with 20 lines or less.

Scholarships.com $500 InstaScholarship
Sponsor: Scholarships.com
Amount: $500
Closing Date: September 30, 2017
Description: Contest is open to all U.S. citizens who are either currently enrolled in high school and plan to attend a U.S. Department of Education accredited institution of higher education or are currently enrolled in a U.S. Department of Education accredited institution of higher learning. Applicant must share a post/pic of their top priorities for this upcoming school year and tag @scholdotcom and use #InstaScholarship on Instagram.

Shout It Out Scholarship
Sponsor: Unigo
Amount: $1,500
Closing Date: September 30, 2017
Description: Scholarship is open to students 13 years of age or older who are legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and are currently enrolled (or will enroll no later than the fall of 2023) in an accredited post-secondary institution of higher education. Applicant will need to submit a short response to a given prompt.

Meeting Features UVA Professor Dr. Maurice Apprey
Topic: “Health Consequences for the Black Community”

The Albemarle-Charlottesville branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will hold its monthly meeting on Monday, September 11, 2017.  Meetings start at 7 PM and are held at the Jefferson School City Center located at 233 4th Street NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (in the Mary Williams Center).  The meeting will feature Dr. Maurice Apprey, African American Professor of Psychiatric Medicine and Dean of the Office of African American Affairs at The University of Virginia.  Dr. Apprey’s topic will be “Memory and Defeat: Health Consequences for the Black Community.”

We are sincerely grateful for the expressions of faith, hope, and love shown by the cards, letters, phone calls and monetary support for our mission.  At this time, we are unable to respond personally to each individual outpouring of support. The compassion, caring, and generosity of so many of you who are united in the belief that ALL people are created equal has given us further momentum to continue our struggle for justice and equality for ALL.

Janette B. Martin, President

Albemarle-Charlottesville NAACP

 

Diversity Luncheon

The presidents of the National, Virginia State Conference of the NAACP, and the Albemarle-Charlottesville NAACP have issued the following joint statement regarding the senseless racist hate rally, violence and loss of life in Charlottesville, Virginia:

“As people can see now very clearly, not voting has consequences,” stated Janette Martin, president of the Albemarle-Charlottesville NAACP. "On numerous occasions the city of Charlottesville has spent thousands of dollars to support KKK rallies – and city merchants have expressed their dissatisfaction with the loss of revenue that occurs during these rallies." Martin added. "Violence did not have to be demonstrated in order to express freedom of speech. It appears that free speech was secondary to their main purpose which was to wreak havoc and violence in the community.They have been emboldened by the words and vocabulary of elected officials at the highest levels."  Martin concluded, " we commend the people of faith here in Charlottesville for working hard to set a moral tone, and sacrificing themselves and their safety to drown out the message of hate especially as we have students and parents returning to the UVA campus for the start of the school year."

“The terrible incidence of violence in Charlottesville is a painful reminder of the  blatant racism, unbridled lynchings and other violence against citizens of African descent that permeated the history of this country,” said Linda Thomas, president of the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP. "This goes to the very core of the existence of the NAACP and our continuing struggle against forces of hate." 

 "White supremacists and today’s purveyors of hate should find no shadows in which to hide. Our forefathers shed blood so that in 2017, this type of violence would be a footnote of the past." Added Thomas, "We applaud our governor, Terry McAuliffe, whose statement today is in alignment with the NAACP mission. And we encourage the Governor to use the full force of his executive powers to eradicate race based barriers in all areas of life within the state. The Virginia State Conference will remain steadfast in our advocacy and activism as we push forward in our fight for legislative changes, expansion of voting rights and sound public policies that equally serve and protect all citizens within the commonwealth. And we will persist until we drive racism, and racist behavior from our midst." 

“We call on President Trump to denounce this act as an act of terrorism and condemn the repeated rhetoric which has helped to fuel this climate of division and derision,” said Derrick Johnson, interim president and CEO of the NAACP. “ Our hearts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives in Charlottesville. We stand firm with our commitment to acknowledge our differences, to embrace them as the richness of the American mosaic and we’ll continue to lead the fight for the right to peaceably assemble.”