Although the month of February must come to an end, the celebration of Black history shouldn’t.
I am reminded of the continuous work that must be done throughout the year. There is no stopping us as a community, for I know we have learned so much about each other and ourselves during this pandemic.
We can never go back to how we were, but we can also never forget how it has been.
There are many organizations doing great work, some behind the scenes and others front and center, such as the Lacey Family/Spring Hill Boys and Girls Club, CATALYST Mentoring, MAN Up Mentoring, Sisters Build Network for Girls Inc., Junior Service League of DeLand, Volusia Remembers Coalition, Beloved Communities and the West Volusia Branch of NAACP, to name just a few.
Throughout the month, we have had the grand opportunity to view 16 banners of local African Americans Downtown DeLand, and to meet these individuals through stories in The Beacon. These honorees have spent many years engaging and uplifting our community. Many of them are current NAACP members, which leads into an ask.
ART APPRECIATION — Kyla Onfroy, a member of the Sisters Build Network for Girls, is shown during a visit to the Museum of Art – DeLand.
The NAACP is seeking members interested in carrying the torch from here on to eradicate racism, fight for social justice, enhance the education system, identify key political activists and create opportunities for community building toward equality and equity.
The West Volusia NAACP’s 2021-23 officers are as follows: President Sean King, Vice President Bishop Eugene Collier, First Vice President Pastor Reginald Williams, Assistant Secretary Sharon Stafford and Treasurer Calvin Gilchrist.
“Civic engagement can not rest on the shoulders of the leaders alone. We welcome all interested community members to become a member of the NAACP and begin working toward the goals and objectives through committee work,” President King said.
The standard committees are: Community Coordination Committee, Freedom Fund Committee, Economic Development Committee, Afro-academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO), Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs, Education Committee, young adult, housing, religious affairs, Political Action Committee, Marketing & Media Committee, legal redress, criminal justice, juvenile justice, prison branch, labor and industry, communication and youth works committee.
If you’re interested in learning more, email president@westvolusianaacp.org.
— Dr. Primrose Cameron is a motivational speaker, empowerment coach and facilitator. Visit her website at www.primrosecameron.com.
