The Houston chapter of the NAACP has officially installed its 2025-26 officers, ushering in a new era of leadership committed to addressing the critical challenges facing Black Houstonians.
At the helm is re-elected president James Dixon, who has laid out a bold agenda centered on economic empowerment, political mobilization and legislative advocacy.
Dixon emphasized the urgency of confronting the systemic barriers that continue to marginalize Black communities, particularly the recent attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
“The attack on DEI means that the agenda is exclusion, and it’s excluding us from wealth,” Dixon stated. “Think about this: In 2021, Black Americans only owned 4% of the nation’s wealth. And yet, they say that’s too much. That’s why DEI is under attack—we have to understand what the power structure has concluded: We are only acceptable when we are poor.”
With this in mind, Dixon and his leadership team are doubling down on efforts to foster economic self-determination within Houston’s Black community. A key priority is equipping future generations with the tools to navigate and challenge economic and political disparities.
“We have to be about raising up a new generation of freedom fighters—competent, committed individuals who will move the agenda of freedom forward collaboratively,” Dixon said. “We must bring together diverse cultural groups because we have one future. We cannot afford to be divided.”
Dixon also raised concerns about the political landscape, particularly the influence of Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint that he believes threatens marginalized communities’ civil rights and economic progress.
“The Supreme Court has been co-opted. There’s a majority in the House and Senate working against our interests. We have to organize now—not just for the next presidential election, but for the midterms in two years. We must only elect individuals who publicly denounce Project 2025 and its divisive agenda.”
Beyond legislative and electoral strategies, Dixon underscored the importance of grassroots activism. He urged members to take to the streets, participate in advocacy efforts and remain vigilant in the fight for economic and social justice.
“We must be clear: This is about economic empowerment,” he declared. “We will not be passive. We will organize, mobilize and demand justice.”
The newly installed officers joining Dixon in this mission include:
- Shevann Steuben, 1st Vice President
- Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, 2nd Vice President
- Argentina James, 3rd Vice President
- Cheryl Lawson, Secretary
- Janice Weaver, Assistant Secretary
- Anthony West, Treasurer
Yolanda Smith, Executive Director
Dixon concluded his remarks with a powerful call to action:
“First of all, we’ve gotta recognize and understand the climate that we’re in. There were only a few laws between Blacks and the plantation. Gotta remember that a few laws changed, but all hearts did not change,” he said. “And now that those laws are under attack in many races, it’s gonna take agitation.
“An agitator in a washing machine is what cleans the clothes. Without agitation, we cannot clean the soil of American fabric from the sin and scar of racism. Racism is the perpetual stain on America. And we have the power within us to agitate and to cleanse it.”
Dixon says the NAACP will also reach out to the next generation.
“It’s gonna take collaboration. Many groups got to come together and decide it’s better for all of us to march together, fight together, legislate together in order to move the agenda of freedom forward,” he said. “And all young people—to the rescue. Listen, we’re gonna need your brilliance, your brains, your charisma, your energy, your excitement, your enthusiasm. And we’re certainly gonna need your potency as it relates to technology. Your competency as it relates to technology is premium in this fight.”
