Is the NAACP Still Relevant for Today’s Black Youth ?
This year, convention planners have deliberately made an attempt to appeal to their younger constituents. There is still a heavy push to get youth involved in ACT-SO or the Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics, a yearlong NAACP national youth initiative designed to recruit and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students. Convention seminars like “Power to the People” (about leadership development) and “Holla If You Hear Me” (how to create a campaign message) were also geared specifically to the youth. Several teens, including 17-year-old Javarius Miley from Jackson, Mississippi, were pinnacle in the voting process, encouraging members to vote for new officers. On Monday night, teens enjoyed a youth social with music and dancing. Wednesday’s main event was an awards dinner hosted by BET’s Terrance J and Rocsi with performances by Ryan Leslie and Letoya Luckett. The NAACP also just unveiled a new initiative that d
