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September 17, 2005

The NAACP retreats

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The Baltimore Sun today publishes a follow—up to the Washington Post story yesterday on the alleged zipper problems of former NAACP presdient Kweisi Mfume. Although Mfume continues to deny misconduct in somewhat equivocal language, lots of interesting details are coming out, painting a picture of the NAACP as an organization in crisis (again).

The leadership of NAACP is meeting at Harvard Business School, on a retreat deigned to identify a new president, and presumably, get their act together. All parties concerned seem to be fearful of damaging the reputation of the nation's oldest civil rights organization.

Given the recurring nature of the problems and the NAACP's metamorphosis into a political organization fighting Republicans (remember the ads showing chains attached to a pickup truck, and impugning George Bush as somehow responsible for a hideous racial outrage?), maybe the NAACP leadership needs to reflect deeply on the question of organizational purpose. Is it still a civil rights organization?

Hat tip: Ed Lasky

Thomas Lifson   4 29 05