NAACP New Bedford

Urgent call to support MA Indigenous Civil Rights bills

NAACP New Bedford Family, I'm writing to you to seek your support for three important Indigenous civil rights bills that are before the Massachusetts State Legislature and need to be voted on before the end of July. The three bills seek to ban Native American sports mascots, redesign the racist Massachusetts state flag and seal, and protect Native American heritage (more details below my signature). I know that you and your organization will understand the urgent need to address racial justice issues and symbols of white supremacy now. Here are two steps we are asking you to take: Please go...

Globe article: Renewed calls for investigation of Gracia killing

Eight years after police fatally shot a Black teenager, renewed calls for an investigation by Shelley Murphy Globe Staff, July 18, 2020 (excerpted) Eight years later, his death is drawing renewed attention as protesters outraged by the killings of George Floyd and other Black men and women call for sweeping police reforms and racial justice. In New Bedford, a city that has long struggled with gang violence, community activists and the NAACP are calling for a fresh look at Gracia’s shooting and the police practices that led to the deadly encounter. LaSella Hall, president of the NAACP’s New Bedford branch,...

Honoring two Civil Rights legends

With a heavy heart, we honor two civil rights legends today. Civil rights icon and 17-term Georgia congressman Rep. John Lewis has died at the age of 80. Representative Lewis was a leader of the civil rights movement, champion of peaceful resistance, and a leading voice across America for over 30 years. Civil rights veteran, Rev. C.T. Vivian has died at the age of 95. An associate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in 1965 he was beaten by a segregationist sheriff in Selma while trying to register Black voters - a moment that helped spark the march that pressured...

Massachusetts Association of School Committees weighing support for anti-racism resolution

But will school districts actually vote for it? The Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) Board of Directors has recommended two resolutions to be forwarded to its Resolutions Committee for consideration by the organization's membership. The resolutions address funding for COVID-19 related expenses, and ask member School Committees to to commit to change on issues of racism, equity, and diversity that have finally seized the nation's attention. The resolutions will eventually be considered by MASC's 2020 Delegate Assembly this Fall (last year's Assembly took place on November 8th). This is the wording of the anti-racism language in the MASC resolution:...

Defund SROs: put real resources back in our schools

There was an unintended display of fireworks at the July 13th Zoom meeting of the New Bedford School Committee. Christopher Cotter, Vice Chair of the Committee and a New Bedford Police officer, lectured two of his colleagues about the true nature of "School Resource Officers" ( SROs) — otherwise known as school cops: "Shame on you," Cotter scolded Committee members Joshua Amaral and Colleen Dawicki, for suggesting there are still a lot of questions about the SRO program. "You sit there and say that you don't know what the program is, what it entails, whatever the case is, you have...

NAACP partnerships support Black-owned business

As part of the NAACP's ongoing commitment to the sustainability of Black businesses and economic empowerment for communities of color, we are proud to partner with two prominent organizations to provide support for Black businesses that have fallen on tough times in recent months. NAACP x BeyGOOD The NAACP is delighted to administer a meaningful program in partnership with BeyGOOD’s Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund to assist our small business communities that have been directly impacted by the recent events across the country. The grants in the amount of $10,000 will be offered to Black-owned small businesses in select cities...

Senate passes “Reform, Shift + Build Act”

On July 14th the Massachusetts Senate passed by a vote of 30 to 7 (with 3 abstentions) S.2820, the "Reform, Shift + Build Act" (S.2820) to "reform police standards and shift resources to build a more equitable, fair and just commonwealth that values Black lives and communities of color." You can read the text of S.2820 here. Senators in the Hall of Shame for not voting for S.2820 include: Nick Collins (D, First Suffolk); Diana DiZoglio (D, First Essex); Ryan Fattman (R, Worcester & Norfolk); Anne Gobi (D, Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire & Middlesex); Michael Moore (D, Second Worcester); Patrick O'Connor...

Six reasons to scrap Qualified Immunity

From a note by Juan Cofield, NAACP New England Area Conference, to area Branch Presidents The [Massachusetts] House leadership is most concerned about is the Qualified Immunity issue. This issue is the one that the police interests are most opposed to. Accordingly, I have attached a fact sheet, prepared by NEAC's Legal Redress Chair, Stephanie Soriano, to explain Qualified Immunity (QI). The Senate adopted bill, which NEAC is now strongly supporting, along with several bills proposed by the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus is the message we want to send. NEAC's adopted Policing Reform Package seeks the outright elimination of...

Support the Reform, Shift + Build Act

In response to resounding calls for racial justice, the Senate’s S.2800 An Act to Reform Police Standards and Shift Resources to Build a More Equitable, Fair and Just Commonwealth that Values Black Lives and Communities of Color—the *Reform, Shift + Build Act*—proposes a number of reforms. The bill is a product of the Senate’s Racial Justice Working Group on which I’ve been proud to serve at the request of the Senate President. You can also download a summary of the bill here. The bill seeks to: Encourage the use of de-escalation techniques by police officers Foreground work to better resource...
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