This article originally appeared in the February 2005 edition of diversityinbusiness.com
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by Dan Perkins

Source: NAACP Release - 022105

The leadership of America's oldest and largest Civil Rights organization, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), voiced opposition to President Bush's desire to privatize Social Security.  NAACP leaders told a gathering of about 300 members that privatization of Social Security would cause disproportionate and irreparable harm to African American retirees and others who depend on disability and survivor benefits.

“Privatization is another effort to reward wealthy Americans at the expense of working Americans, particularly black working Americans, asking them to play the lottery with their future,” declared Julian Bond, Chairman of the NAACP Board of Directors at NAACP's 96th Annual Meeting, which was held Saturday, February 19, 2005, in New York City.

Commenting on President Bush’s claim that privatizing Social Security would benefit African Americans because their average lifespan is shorter than whites, Bond said: “It isn’t Social Security that’s bad deal for Blacks – dying too early is the real bad deal!"

Bond was critical of Bush for drawing attention to Black-White disparity in life expectancy rather than the factors that contribute to the disparity. "Using shorter Black life expectancy as an excuse for privatizing Social Security isn’t just offensive; it is also misleading.”

Bond continued: “The Black-White disparity in life expectancies practically disappears at retirement age. If they really cared about Black life expectancy, they’d fix health care, which is really broken. They’d fix the Black-White unemployment gap – joblessness for Blacks is always twice the rate for Whites. They’d fix the prison gap – more Black men are in prison than in college. They’d find ways to end the numerous threats to long life and to extend our lives. Instead, they want to turn Social Security into broker security. This argument isn’t about Main Street; it’s about Wall Street."

“Social Security is something of great concern to us because we are twice as likely to be dependent on disability benefits as Whites,” said Interim NAACP President & CEO Dennis Hayes.

Nearly 80 percent of African Americans over age 65 depend on Social Security for more than half of their income and more than 50 percent rely on it for 90 percent or more of their income.

Hilary Shelton, Director of the NAACP Washington Bureau, said, “All three Social Security programs: retirement, disability and survivor’s benefits are disproportionately important to the economic survival of African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities.”  In addition, Shelton said, “African American children are almost four times more likely to be lifted out of poverty by Social Security benefits than our White counterparts.”

The NAACP National Board of Directors unanimously voted to oppose any change in the Social Security system “that would decrease or in any way jeopardize the guaranteed benefits that America’s seniors, disabled or survivors currently receive.”

In addition to Social Security, NAACP leaders also addressed the ongoing investigation by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) into the organization's tax exempt status.  “The IRS challenge is one we have to take seriously because it is something that could affect our ability to carry out our mission.  At the same time, I am sure we will be vindicated,” said Hayes.

At its first quarterly meeting of the year, the NAACP National Board approved a wide range of resolutions, including several that call for passage of legislation aimed at increasing worker benefits, achieving election reform, and establishing health empowerment zones.  The table below summarizes the resolutions approved by the National Board.

During its first quarterly meeting of 2005, the NAACP National Board approved numerous resolutions, some favoring congressional legislation aimed a election reform and workers rights, and some opposing discriminatory practices and controversial judicial nominations.  Below is a summary of the Board's resolutions.

Actions Favored by the NAACP Board

CONGRESSIONAL HONORS
Award the CGM posthumously to Shirley Chisholm

The NAACP urges Congress to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to Congress and the first African American to seek the nomination of a major party for President of the United States.
HEALTH
The Health Empowerment Zone Act of 2005

The Health Empowerment Zone Act of 2005 would establish health empowerment zones in communities that disproportionately experience disparities in health care. 

HIV Testing in Prisons

The NAACP plans to research the availability of funding through the Homeland Security Agency for HIV testing in prisons in order to significantly reduce HIV in the prison population and the Black community.
Increases in Black faulty at teaching medical hospitals

The NAACP Board approved creation of a task force to develop strategies to increase the numbers of Black faulty at teaching medical hospitals and the number of Black medical students.
LABOR ISSUES
The Healthy Families Act

The Health Families Act would provide seven days of paid sick leave a year for full-time workers and a pro rata share of paid sick leaves for part-time employees who work at least 20 hours per week or 1,000 hours annually. An estimated 41 percent of working parents with incomes below the federal poverty level reportedly have no paid leave of any kind.
Collective bargaining rights for private security workers

The NAACP supports the right of private security workers to organize and bargain collectively.

Workers' rights for employees of large retailers

The NAACP National Board urges local NAACP units to discourage support of large retailers that disrespect basic rights and standards in the workplace.
PUBLIC DISPLAYS
One Nation, One Flag

The NAACP National Board supports continued effort to remove the Confederate flag from all public properties.
VOTING RIGHTS
Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act

The NAACP National Board supports continued election reform outlined in the Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act, which would establish a national federal write-in absentee ballot; require same-day voter registration; allow voters to verify their vote prior to casting a ballot either through written, pictorial, audio or electronic verification; lead to establishment of standards for a minimum of voting machines and trained poll workers for each polling place; set minimum standards to ensure that all eligible provisional ballots are counted and that no one is erroneously purged from the voting rolls without prior notification.

Actions Opposed by the NAACP Board

JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS
The re-nomination of 20 federal judge candidates

The NAACP opposes the nomination of candidates who were rejected by the Senate in 2004, including William Pryor, Janice Rogers Brown, Brett Kavanaugh, William Myers, Terrence Boyle, Thomas Griffith and Priscilla Owen.
INVESTMENTS
Discriminatory investment practices in Chicago

The NAACP is calling on Chicago’s largest healthcare provider to end a pattern and practice of discriminatory investment.  The NAACP also wants the provider to support workers right to collective bargaining.

The End

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