Buffalo branch focuses on health, economic issues

Buffalo NAACP President Frank Mesiah, now in his fifth year leading the chapter and his 25th of involvement with the organization, says keeping the fires of racial awareness burning is as crucial now as it was in the 1960s.

"The problems facing African Americans are huge," he says. "As things have improved, the face of racism has changed. We want to be part of the decision-making process."

The initiatives pursued by the branch reflect the broadened focus of the fight for racial equality. Health concerns among the city's African American population became a top priority after a Black Leadership Forum health survey. The survey, conducted by the University of Buffalo Center for Urban Studies, interviewed more than 2,000 people in 900 Black households on Buffalo's east side to identify their health needs. Obesity, lead poisoning and HIV topped the list as the most pressing health issues.

In response Mesiah and the Buffalo NAACP are formulating plans to keep these maladies from gaining stronger footholds. Buffalo's predominantly African American neighborhoods are often dominated by fast-food restaurants and a dearth of stores offering fresh food so, for example, the branch has been working with the city to secure empty lots to create safe places for residents to exercise.

In addition to its efforts to promote public health, the branch is working to encourage African American economic development. It sponsored seminars on Jan. 26 and March 5 in conjunction with the Small Business Administration and other community groups that covered finance and credit issues, taxes, licenses and establishing home-based businesses.

Bob Novak, public information officer of Buffalo's Small Business Administration says, "The NAACP is a strong organization in Buffalo, and we wanted to be involved. They have a strong membership in an important market [where] we need to see some economic growth."

In other activities, the branch, mindful of the role Blacks played in World War II, has begun recording the recollections of local Black veterans and submitting them to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The effort complements the department's plans for a day of honor for minority veterans in May.

Additionally, the branch is no stranger to media attention of its own. Mesiah hosts "The NAACP Speaks," a local radio program that discusses a range of Black community issues and events which airs every other Thursday.

"It's important that our community hear from the NAACP," says WUFO Operations Manager Carol Salter. "They keep us informed and let us know where we've come from and where we are."

Branch efforts also include an enduring commitment to youth. Mesiah proudly notes the branch's 23-year involvement in ACT-SO. Members regularly gather for cultural events, including a recent trip to a performance at Buffalo's Paul Robeson Theater.

As the branch continues addressing a variety of community concerns, it's clear this Buffalo is moving forward.

- Frankle J. Petrosino

Copyright Crisis Publishing Company, Incorporated Mar/Apr 2002
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