The Hampton Script

Brandi Howliet | Staff Writer

The NAACP celebrated its Founders Day on Feb. 12. In recognition of this occasion the Hampton University Chapter of the NAACP hosted Club Dubois’ Open Mic. The event was hosted in Dubois Hall Lobby, and it featured live music and poetry.

“The NAACP is a Civil Rights Advocacy organization that fights against injustices that people face in various fields including health, criminal justice, political action, LGBTQ, Education and several other aspects here on campus. On Founders Day, we participated in the Open Mic night held at Club Dubois,” Jeremiah Edwards said.

Edwards is the Hampton University NAACP president as well as the region 7 representative for the NAACP National Youth Work Committee. He is a senior history major from Snellville, Georgia.

According to the Liberal Arts page on the Hampton website, “The NAACP has one of the largest organized groups of young people of any secular organization in the country. Some 67,000 youth are involved with the NAACP through its Youth Councils and College Division. Its objectives are to inspire, motivate, and create interest in civic activities; provide young people with an understanding of pertinent issues; develop organizational skills for implementation of community-related activities; and encourage active participation in these activities.”

The campus chapter is very active at Hampton University, hosting myriad events.

Edwards explained other events hosted by the NAACP as well as other resources students might wish to be aware of.

“During NAACP week, we had an event called ‘Sports and Politics,’ where we examined how athletes are involved in the political action process,” he noted before continuing, “We have also utilized Instagram live for voter education, and we are about to have a four-part Instagram live event with MOSAIC in order to educate students on our campus on LGBT issues and how one can become an ally.”

“The NAACP is a Civil Rights Advocacy organization that fights against injustices that people face in various fields including health, criminal justice, political action, LGBTQ, Education and several other aspects here on campus.” –Jeremiah Edwards

The NAACP is a historic organization that has been active since its beginnings in 1909. With more than one hundred years of experience in advocating for the rights of African Americans, the NAACP focuses on issues such as inequality in job employment, education, the criminal justice system and protecting voting rights. The youth and college division of the NAACP started in 1936, and since its inception, 25,000 young people, under the age of 25, have become members, according to NAACP.org.

Having a chapter of the NAACP on campus is very important. It allows students to learn and grow, all while being involved with the NAACP’s national organization. Members of this chapter are offered youth voter registration, curriculum selection, and are encouraged to participate in community-related activities. Being a part of this student chapter not only advocates for everything that the NAACP stands for but it also allows for students to make a difference.