Stockton NAACP: Cooperation fosters community progress

After 30 years with the NAACP of Stockton, Calif., the Rev. Willie A. Douglas knows that it takes a special person and a strong spirit to make the organization's commitment to racial justice one's own.

"This business is not for everyone," says Douglas, a Stockton native now in his first term as branch president. "You have to have the heart and courage to stand."

In Stockton, those who stand for the NAACP with Douglas have become a particularly focused force strengthened by extensive participation in other community associations. The Stockton NAACP counts among its members Mayor Gary Podesta and Chief of Police Edward Chavez, as well as Mary Flenoy-Kelley, president of the Black Employees Association of the Stockton Unified School District and organizers of Stockton's Black Family Day.

"We have a strong general membership," Douglas notes. "We can work in various communities to be able to provide services and address needs."

Successfully solving issues in public education is an example of how the branch's drive for racial equality combined with the community ties of its members has paid off. In 1998, the Black Employees Association of Stockton Unified School District and the Stockton NAACP filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Education. The complaint cited the high number of African American students being suspended and expelled and the low number of those students in gifted and talented or honors classes.

"These are serious issues we wanted to make sure we addressed," says Douglas. The effort resulted in the development of an action plan for the school district aimed at monitoring disciplinary practices and incorporating African American students in advanced academics.

For branch member Flenoy-Kelley, filing the complaint was just the natural thing to do.

"We're dealing with a lot of the same issues," explains the Black Employee Association president, "and combining our energy is more effective than fighting separate battles on separate fronts."

The Stockton NAACP has also taken steps to expand its cooperation with community organizations representing the diverse ethnicities of this northern California city. Throughout 2001, Stockton hosted a series of forums aimed at helping the city realize its slogan, "Embracing a Colorful World." Instituted by Mayor Podesta, the Racial Harmony and Fairness Task Force has allowed Douglas and the Stockton NAACP to recognize common issues with other ethnic groups and begin to dialogue.

While the talks are still at the individual, informal level, the NAACP isn't alone in recognizing the potential of the contact. "We're trying to unite the community as much as possible," says Asian American Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dennis Lee, a Task Force member who has had several talks with Douglas. "We're here to work with all groups if we can help in some way."

The Stockton NAACP will continue its focused community outreach in 2002 with a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration on Jan. 21, a youth forum on Feb. 2 to address relations between police and young people in Stockton and a March roundtable on law enforcement and the community.

"We've been busy from day one out there bringing community components together," Douglas says.

- Frankle J. Petrosino

Mississippi

Branch

Continues to

Fight Injustice

Organized in the 1960s, the result of field work by NAACP field secretary Medgar Evers, the Moss Point-Jackson County, Miss., NAACP branch has a history of political action.

"The branch was formed to make sure that justice was served, especially in the political process," says Curley Clark, the branch's president for 17 years.

"Our voter turnout numbers are high," Clark continues. "In a predominantly Black ward, we are getting a turnout of at least 30 percent."

Located at Mississippi's southern end, Moss Point is less than two hours from New Orleans and only 40 minutes from Mobile, Ala.

The political activism of the Moss Point-Jackson County NAACP branch has changed the political landscape in the Gulf Coast area.

For example, Moss Point's neighboring city, Pascagoula, has a population that is approximately 80 percent white. Yet the branch was able to move Pascagoula from an at-large system of voting, where Blacks were never elected to a political position, to a ward system that included a majority Black ward. Clark explains that the branch used the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the threat of a lawsuit to leverage that accomplishment.

Political activism, however, has not yet changed the attitudes or complexion of an overwhelmingly white police force. According to Clark, Moss Point's police behave as if they are an occupying army.

On Sept. 13, 1999, even Clark was taken aback when Marcus Malone, a 32year-old man arrested for a traffic violation, was found dead in his jail cell.

"When we first investigated the incident, police officials said Malone had overdosed," Clark says.

"Then, the city had a quick autopsy with no details. A grand jury saw no reason to indict anyone."

The Malone family had a second autopsy performed, which indicated that Malone had died of traumatic compression of the neck or chest.

After pressure from the Moss PointJackson County NAACP District Attorney Keith Miller submitted the conflicting reports to forensic expert Michael Baden to be reconciled.

Baden confirmed the findings of the second autopsy and added that Malone was dead before he arrived at his jail cell at the police station.

The NAACP went to work. The usual procedure is to have complainants come to the branch office and submit a written statement. That statement is taken to the mayor and aldermen.

"We then get media involved and hope that we can get public opinion on our side," Clark says. "We do that constantly."

In the Malone case, they went further. There were two marches for justice, and Branch President Clark wrote to the U. S. Department of Justice requesting that it review all policies and procedures of the Moss Point police department.

Armed with Baden's report, Clark and other community leaders asked the district attorney to revisit the Malone case. After reviewing the new evidence, last July a grand jury indicted two police officers and an auxiliary officer for manslaughter. It was an historical moment.

"Although we're about half the size we once were," Clark says, "we're rebuilding. I'm proud our membership helped to create history in the Malone case."

- Phil W. Petrie

Copyright Crisis Publishing Company, Incorporated Jan/Feb 2002
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