The Defender recently published an article asking the question, “Is the NAACP still relevant today?” The response from readers was phenomenal. Nearly an equal number chimed in to say the NAACP has outlived its usefulness as those who argued that the NAACP is needed now more than ever.
The Defender was able to hear directly from Dr. James Dixon, head of NAACP Houston, to get his take on the issue, and add his insights to the conversation.
Here’s what Dixon had to say:
Defender: How do you feel when you hear people question the relevance of the NAACP?
Dixon: Questions concerning the relevance of NAACP are fair to ask. In fact, I welcome the inquisitions because it opens the door for an interactive and sometimes, a mutually informative conversation.
Defender: Are you saying, there’s truth to the assertion?
Dixon: Admittedly, it’s often the case that venerable organizations become trapped in a time warp that causes them to lose touch with present reality. However, I am grateful to report that the Houston NAACP has intentionally worked to avoid becoming what a lawyer friend would call “functionally obsolete.”
Defender: How is NAACP Houston doing this?
Dixon: This is the challenge of leadership: to cast a vision that challenges the status quo and that imposes innovative ideas on aged practices and procedures which can be uncomfortable. For the Houston NAACP, confronting the modern versions of discrimination and injustice is requiring embracing new people, with new ideas and new energy.
Defender: What are some of the issues NAACP Houston is confronting?
Dixon: Racism is not new. But there are new manifestations. To name a few, the attack on DEI, the attack on Voter Rights, the attack on Public Education, the attack on access to healthcare and the attack on Black and minority-owned businesses. What I’ve noticed is that most people who question the relevance of the NAACP are either unfamiliar with the vast problems we presently face, or, they are unaware of the everyday work their NAACP does. If they knew of the work of our youth and our award-winning ACT-SO program; if they knew the work of our Education Committee; if they knew the GOTV work of our Political Action Committee, or our work for Social Justice, or work for Justice for Veterans; if they knew how well we are working to close the homeownership gap. Our work against environmental injustice is another area of productive work. Yet another is our work to provide legal redress. It’s all happening, and it’s happening all the time.
Defender: Are there any new issues or initiatives NAACP Houston is focusing on?
Dixon: We are now embarking on a brand new frontier, dealing with why Independently-owned Black Funeral Homes are diminishing, and educating our community on the fact that there is only one Black-owned cemetery in Houston. That’s Houston Memorial Gardens on Cullen. Yes, the Houston NAACP is relevant and resourceful, although we are under-resourced. We need more members and more finances in order to increase our staff and elevate our services. The work is great but we need more hands on deck. People who attend our meetings can see the work, hear the reports and learn how they can join us in this vital work in our community.
