Florida State Representative Geraldine Thompson pointed to the recent mandatory drug testing and voter suppression bills as evidence that the NAACP still has work to do.
In her keynote address delivered at the Seminole County NAACP Annual Freedom Fund Banquet on June 4, Representative Thompson asked the question, “Are we there yet?” The answer came back as a resounding, “No.”
A local historian herself, Representative Thompson gave a timeline of historical struggles that the NAACP has fought to win. She spoke about desegregation of schools and voting rights. She told the story of July Perry, who was killed for just trying to exercise his right to vote. In 1920, an angry mob attacked Perry, hung him and filled his dead body with bullets. However, because of the NAACP, not only can blacks vote, a black president sits in the White House.
The irony is that because organizations like the NAACP have made such strides toward true justice and equality, many believe the struggle is over. However, if we become too comfortable and complacent, there is real danger that what the NAACP fought to achieve will be taken away. Mandatory drug testing for those who receive state aid is only the beginning.
Because many of us today did not live during the time when people died to vote, we take it for granted. We don’t see the significance of this right. However, the right to vote could mean the difference between whether your child is bound for college or headed to the criminal justice system. It means the difference between whether you have a caring and dedicated police force in your community or senseless murders of citizens because of rampant abuse of power. This is because elected officials make the laws that govern us. They are supposed to represent our best interests. It is up to us to make sure that they do. Voting is how we make sure they do. The mission of the NAACP is to make sure they do. It is imperative that we get involved in and support our community organizations. Representative Thompson made this call in her address. She is running for a Florida Senate seat.
Also during the banquet, three civil rights pioneers were inducted into the Seminole County NAACP Hall of Fame. Justice James Perry, Victoria Brown Smith and Dr. Velma Williams were honored for their work to bring justice to Seminole County. Justice Perry now serves as a Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Justice Perry was unable to attend. His son, Jaimon Perry, accepted the award. Mrs. Brown-Smith is a historian and author of the book, Midway -- The Midpoint My Precious Memories Of Times Gone By. Dr. Williams is a member of the Sanford City Commission.
