Youth Council and College Division

 

History 

The development of Youth Councils and College Chapters throughout the country is of great significance and gratification to the NAACP. The initiative and drive exhibited by the Youth Councils continues to grow. Their contributions to society continue to be substantial and evident locally as well as nationally.

 

Under the guidance of Ms. Juanita E. Jackson, Special Assistant to the Secretary, a National Youth Program was created for youth members of the NAACP. This program provided national activities for youth that were supported by monthly meeting discussing local needs of the community. The major national youth activities were demonstrations against lynching and seminars and group discussions on the inequalities in public education.

 

The first annual student conference of the NAACP was held at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia, March 29-31,1940. Fifty-three delegates registered from schools and colleges all over the United States.

 

In 1943, the Youth and College Division initiated the first “National Negro Youth Week” which was held from April 27th through May 3rd. The purpose was to focus the attention of the nation on the needs, aims, achievements, and aspirations of Negro youth throughout the country.

 

In 1960, the NAACP proudly saluted the sit-in demonstrations of its youth members in Greensboro, North Carolina, in their attempt to desegregate lunch counters.

 

In 1965, with the passage of the Voting Rights Act, the NAACP youth members registered over 350,000 voters. This campaign demonstrated the strength and determination of the Youth and College Division.

 

Today, there are over 500 Youth Councils and College Chapters actively involved in voter registration. The implementation of Youth Leadership Development, internships, and scholarship programs continue to be successful.

 

 

 Objective

 

The primary objectives of the NAACP Youth Division are:

 

· Inspire, motivate, and create interest in civic activities.

· Provide understanding of issues pertinent to social conditions.

· Advance the economic, education, social and political status of people of color.

· Serve as the training ground for a new generation of American leaders.

 

 

Highlights

 

The NAACP is a strong believer that Youth leadership development is vital. Youth leadership development is on going in the Youth and College Division, and through fund-raising efforts, NAACP youth learn in advance the importance of resources to support programs. Much of the Youth Units’ efforts are self-help oriented. It is this quality that is so important and is the essence of the civil rights struggle. The ability to be self-determined and in control of your own destiny is essential.

 

The NAACP hosts Regional Strategy Planning Retreats for youth and their advisors. Workshops are held during these retreats concentrating on youth leadership training, education, and art.

 

The NAACP has reached Europe, and it was there that over 200 young people attended their first European Conference held in Frankfurt, Germany.

 

Through the National Office’s Freedom Fund Campaign, NAACP Youth Units have forwarded more than $20,000 and are striving to contribute even more. Additional fundraising efforts by the National Youth and College Division have also proven to be successful.

  

 

 NAACP Youth & College Division Today

 

Under the leadership of Jeffery Johnson, the Youth & College Division of the NAACP has gained a new zeal for activism and Civil Rights Advocacy. The Youth of the NAACP have made their presence felt on an ever-increasing number of campuses and communities around the country. With over 500 Youth and College Units, NAACP Youth are truly answering the call to be the next generation of leadership for people of color throughout America. Through our “90 in the 90th Campaign”, we will be expanding our presence to 90 new campuses across the country, focusing our attention on minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities as well as Hispanic Serving Institutions.

 

Activities of the Youth and College Division range from Pre-Sat preparation, in response to Presidents Mfume’s challenge for young people to reach for Educational excellence, to State Capitol Visitation Day on which young people convene at their individual state Capitols for a day of visiting with elected representatives in order to make them aware of the concerns and major issues for the NAACP community.

 

It is the commitment of the Youth and College Division to prevent the minority youth voice from going unheard in any arena of social and political justice. Working in partnership with other minority organizations like LaRaza, Organization of Chinese Americans, and United States Student Association, the 1999-2000 academic year will prove to be one of unprecedented activism within the NAACP Youth & College Division. With the momentum of our 90^th Anniversary Convention, the Youth and College Division will begin to tackle such issues as Higher Education Funding, Juvenile Justice, inequalities in Foreign Aid, and the AIDS/HIV epidemic.

 

Of the highest importance, will be our campaign to register 1,000,000 new voters between the ages of 18 and 25 for the 2000 Presidential Election. Through coalitions with other student-based organizations and other civil rights institutions, the Youth and College Division is committed to changing the trend of not voting amongst Generation X. Believing that this generation can become the generation that sets the tone for student activism for the next millennium, the Youth and College Division is committed to seeing the NAACP be at the forefront of a new wave in Student Activism.