BOOTS ON THE GROUND

JAMES POSEY STEPS UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE AND THE ELEVATION OF PRESENCE AND PURPOSE OF PEOPLE OF COLOR IN PORTLAND, OREGON.

BY MICHELE DARR PHOTOGRAPHY

In the history of America, there are few institutions representing racial equity and equality as well known as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Founded on February 12th, 1990 in the wake of the deadly race riots that had occurred in Springfield, Illinois, the NAACP has sought to secure for all people the rights guaranteed in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution and works to remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes.

As the oldest continuously chartered branch west of the Mississippi, the Portland NAACP Branch 1120-B was founded in 1914 by Dr. J.N. Merriman as its first president and Beatrice Morrow Cannady, editor of African American newspaper The Advocate, as its first secretary. 108 years later, the mission and purpose of the local branch of this iconic organization is still strongly rooted in racial justice and elevation of the presence and purpose of people of color in Portland, Oregon and beyond.

“As a community, we have to really appreciate the institutions that we do have because we don’t have that many,” reflected incoming President James Posey on Flossin Media’s Black Beat Podcast. “If we neglect those institutions, trust me, something bad is going to happen unless those of us who have a moral conscience about community step up and stand out. Black people have the highest incarceration rate and highest rate of disparities in education and health care while the lowest rate of homeownership, business ownership and accrued wealth. I could go on and on but at the end of the day, the truth is that we are in trouble. Black people across the country are still living the same existence whether it is Florida or Oakland or anywhere else. Yet it is important to be very cognizant of the fact that we have been able to survive it all.”

Under his newly minted leadership, Posey is determined that the Portland NAACP be a vehicle for change to be used by the community to further its own best interests. “I have boots on the ground experience,” he shared. “Lots of people want to play this, use it on their resume, use it as a stepping stone to other places and I’m not that guy. As I tell people in my speeches, this isn’t James Posey’s NAACP. This is your NAACP. It’s a vehicle for you and your community to use to make things better and improve our condition. It’s a lean-in on behalf of everyone in this community.”

With the chapter office at the Lloyd Center reopening after being closed during the pandemic for 2 years, Posey is looking forward to making the space available to the community for meetings and planning sessions around burning issues plaguing people of color in Portland.

“One of the things that bothers me most is that we have a 50% achievement gap between black kids and white kids,” he said sadly. “If you extrapolate that out 10 years, our kids won’t have a snowball’s chance in hell competing in the economic market. Everything we do rests on our kid’s ability to be able to compete and if they don’t have the tools to do that, the future continues to look grim.”

The strategies and approaches that Posey plans to implement sets him apart from past leaders who have relied more on party politics to achieve their goals than utilizing more strident approaches to addressing the widening racial socioeconomic gaps. “The State and the Department of Education have not been doing their job,” Posey cited grimly. “For the last 40 years, the Democrats have been in control. People don’t like to hear me say this, but all of the misery that Black folks have been experiencing over that time have come from that party. The truth of the matter is, their record speaks for itself and having been in control of this State for the last 50 years, things haven’t gotten any better for Black people. Not that it would be any better under Republicans, but we shouldn’t let the Democrats off the hook. We have to hold their feet to the fire too.”

Another concern that Posey intends to address as President is student achievement and the relevance to economic viability. With Oregon lowering the benchmark for graduation, he is deeply concerned that existing disparities will widen and students will fail to reach their potential.

“When you can’t get out in the real world, a competitive, capitalistic society, people are going to hire people that can help them make money,” he said. “If you can’t read the process or follow instructions that you have been given or understand how to be creative in your approach to how you do business in a dynamic way, you are going to be in trouble.”

While he admits to not having a magic bullet or charm to attract youthful participation in the NAACP, he feels that the fresh energy he is bringing to the table will help to dispel negativity from the past and provide an attractive option for those seeking a roadmap to equity and success. “I’ve always tried to be around and engage young people on my crew who don’t always have the experience, but they do have untainted energy and fresh ideas,” he shared proudly. “The key lesson that I recognize from our past is our inability to listen. If I don’t listen to someone and internalize what they are saying, walk a mile in their shoes, then we can’t make an adequate assessment. As an organization, we need to reassess ourselves. If we want to make progress, we need to not be afraid of criticism. We need to not be afraid of taking a different path.”

In his leadership role, Posey is clear that time invested is of the essence and sacrifices have to be made to move the needle towards bettering the lot of the historically underserved. “We have to love ourselves and appreciate who we are,” Posey shared. “We have to take care of ourselves. We do this by investing our time, our energy and our money into our people. When you give yourself to your community, you begin to make sacrifices for your family. Make no mistake, our community is an extension of our family. You have to invest in your own people because who else will do that if we don’t?”

As incoming President of the Portland NAACP, Posey has a firm plan of approach with an emphasis on restorative justice for those most negatively impacted by systemic racism. “Right from jump street I’m going to be down at the legislature getting records expunged for cannabis. What are the reparations for these people who have lost years of their lives due to unjust laws? You can’t piecemeal that, you have to come correct on the wrongs committed against these Brothers and Sisters. Who else can do this better than the NAACP? It’s me, it’s you, it’s all of us around this table. Even our own black politicians aren’t going to do it. It’s up to us.”

Moving into the next phase of growth and development begins with empowering community members through sharing and elevating the good that is inherent in the experience of the Black community in Portland and beyond. “Sharing our history, some of the good things about our community is important,” Posey stated with conviction. “We need to press the agenda of how great Black people really are. We have to get that out in front of our own people and convince our own people because we were pumped full of imagery growing up that depicted us as being not as good as white people. Young people have to leverage the power of technology to get out there on Tik Tok and social media. It’s important to put stuff out there to change our minds about who we are, talk about history, and rap about something meaningful for our children. You have to think about your destiny. Forward looking is more powerful than looking backwards.”