North Carolina NAACP Youth and College Advisor Endorses “A Call to Colors” New Black Student Movement Strategy
by Afi G. Osakwe, GDN Contributing Writer 04/05/2021“The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and discrimination.”
And to this end, North Carolina NAACP Youth and College Director, Rena McNeil, resides in Laurinburg, NC working with youth education and civic engagement preparation both locally and statewide.
The retired US Army Veteran is dedicated to youth advocacy and the establishment of NAACP student chapters on college campuses, both Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) Black Student Unions.
McNeil says, “Numbers never mattered to me, motivation and communication are the keys.” And in terms of building the New Black Student Movement with A Call to Colors’ model Voter Registration, Education and Mobilization (VREM)/Get Out The Vote (GOTV) initiative her endorsement reflects the mission of the state NAACP with the blessings of its president Dr. T. Anthony Spearman.
“We constantly pursuing students that want to do the work”, McNeil says. She proposes to do this by rebuilding mandatory advisories that promote and have oversight of twenty-five student memberships to start and/or maintain NAACP chapters at their institutions. To do so is organizational compliance and also establishes the ability to share and expand the model through various communications technology to other universities, nonpartisan and faith-based groups, alumni, and the Divine Nine.
“Sustainable institutions are required to get on the ground, which means ‘we are as strong as the least of these’. Don’t make it personal,” she says. That seems to be in keeping with organizational, value-based and faith-based principles in her 1999 publication of a diamond eventually shines: Scotland County’s African American Pioneers, be open to development, be aware of your environment, and have a sense of community service.
Another aspect of the student movement will be the consideration of the transition of ACT-SO students (The NAACP’s Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics), high school achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate, and encourage high academic and cultural achievement to college civic engagement. There are other projects that occur that McNeil oversees that will be highlighted over time as Greater Diversity News continues to update our collective activities with the NAACP.
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