Brockton Area Branch NAACP

October is Domestic Violence Month!

Will you take the pledge to:

• Not use violence of any form in relationships.
• Speak up if you witness harassment or abusive behavior.
• Take reports of abuse seriously and support survivors.

Take a moment to review our important PSA!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xwVi9oyKCp3sx3-WvRZFdA9t0DRpJdta/view?usp=drive_link

There are resources available to help. Please reach out to Family & Communiity Resources at https://www.fcr-ma.org/

Thank you.

-Phyllis Ellis

Message from the President

YOUR VOTE! YOUR CHOICE!

Brockton voter turnout is low, very low. There are over 50,000 registered voters in Brockton. However, these registered voters do not come out and vote. Only voters can make a change. Right now, any office can be won wth a few thousand votes. We can do better!

Do you know the roles of the office candidates are seeking?

Understanding these roles and their impact is critical if you want to influence choices that affect you.

The role of the Mayor:

The Mayor is the elected Executive, responsible for the city’s daily operations. The Mayor appoints and dismiss key department heads, usually including the Chief of Police. Mayors are usually responsible for presenting a yearly budget to the City Council for approval, although the Council may amend it. Either the Mayor or the City Council may introduce new laws, depending on each city’s charter. Together they address issues including land use and development, housing, job programs or incentives, transportation policies, investment in parks or libraries, and how much to cooperate with the Federal government on areas like immigration policy or drug issues.

The role of City Council

The City Council City Council members have the final vote in creating laws and approving a city budget. They may develop their own initiatives, as well as responding to the mayor’s proposals, and they approve or reject key department heads. The mayor usually has more power than an individual council member and a council super majority may be required to override a Mayor’s veto of Council approved legislation. Nevertheless, the council has ultimate say on which laws are passed.

The role of School Committee

The school commmittee is the link between the classroom and the community. They decide how and what students are learning by setting policies, curriculums, and budgets for the school district. Voting for school board members affects funding for programs like arts, music, and sports, the school calendar, what time school begins and ends. They hire or fire school principals and set guidelines for teachers. Your vote for the school board directly affects the education of students in K-12 schools.

The slate of potential candidates for Brockton is set for electing the next mayor, city council and school committee. Voters of Brockton - please cast your vote on Tuesday, November 7th.

-Phyllis Ellis

BROCKTON AREA BRANCH NAACP HOSTS SCHOOL COMMITTEE FORUM

On the evening of October 4, 2023, the Brockton community gathered at West Middle School, 271 West Street, to hear school committee candidates speak on pertinent topics affecting our community.

Candidates in attendance were [Ward 2] Claudio De Pina Gomes and Jamie Hodges, [Ward 3] Matthew Stanton, [Ward 4] Tony Rodrigues. The Mistress of Ceremonies was President Phyllis Ellis and Moderators: Leona Martin and Kevonna Jones Tandon. Carol Griffin was the timekeeper.

Constituent concerns and demands of accountability addressing the deficit of $14 million dollars, the layoff of teachers, and the miniscule representation of teachers of color in the school district, shaped a majority of the questions asked. This event was covered by the Brockton Community Access Network, and can be viewed in entirety on www.youtube.com at TheBrocktonChannels [https://www.youtube.com/live/O9jMrP6dBHQ?si=79oi35VdMP9p1QS1].

-Kevonna Jones Tandon

photos Janet Trask



Your vote! Your choice!

October 11, 2023 - Councilor at Large Debate

Moderator: Phyllis Ellis – President, Brockton NAACP

Panelists:

Steve Abrams, Chair

Armed Service Veterans Committee

Shahara Jaghoo – Director of Network Engagement Relationships, YouthBuild USA

Timekeeper: Carol Griffin, Member

Candidates in Attendance:

Jamal Brathwaite

Jean Bradley Derenoncourt

Cynthia D. McCall-Hodges

Steve Hooke

On October 11, 2023, the Brockton NAACP hosted a City Councilor at Large forum at West Middle School in Brockton, MA to inform and engage the residents of Brockton about the importance of voting. This platform allowed the community to hear from and speak to the candidates running for City Councilor at Large. 

All the candidates in attendance were engaged and geared up to answer some very important questions that impact the Brockton community daily. The panelists guided questions such as low voter turnout, why have the efforts to vote in Brockton been low? How would you change the current state of violence in Brockton? Other topics were around education, the financial health of Brockton, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, homelessness, and housing.

All candidates were able to provide a response to all questions and provide context on how they will make change in Brockton for the better. While the competition was heated the candidates all agreed that there is a call to action for change in Brockton, not tomorrow but today! The forum closed with remarks on solutions and the candidates put a ask out to the people of Brockton to vote no matter what, because this is a crucial election!

The audience was able to meet and greet the candidates at the end of the evening.

-Shahara Jaghoo

Please vote on November 7th!

Blood Drive for Sickle Cell Anemia - October 13 - New Heights Charter School, Brockton

In the words of Frances Adarkwah. It was a successful blood drive.

I had a busy day volunteering with the American Red Cross at the Brockton Community Sickle Cell Awareness Blood Drive. Thank you all for coming out and donating for this very important blood drive. We had a lot of donations today. It was also nice to see Janet Trask, one of our fellow Brockton NAACP members and local photogapher here and having the honor to volunteer alongside with the amazng crew from the American Red Cross. Bob and his team did an fantastic job keeping our donors comfortable while answering all of their questions and concerns. Special thank you to Pastor Gilbert and his lovely wife Eva for helping us out organizing the blood drive with the Brockton NAACP.

Lily Campbell and her mother, Mimi Campbell, were on hand again selling their one-of-a-kind bracelets with two red beads to symbolize the sickle cell disease.

There were more people of color donating blood. Our branch will continue to advocate for the Sickle Cell Warriors!

Bringing together men with concerns about Prostate Cancer for the Equity Program has been life saving for some, and has been such a source of education for so many, thanks to AdMeTech and the associated Medical facilities in Collaboration.

We are all so proud to be a part of this Team that had it’s beginning event at The Shaw’s Center in Brockton after a Brockton NAACP Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast several years ago.  

-Janet Trask, Chair

Health Committee

Our Branch did another virtual Prostate Cancer Awareness event on Tuesday, October 17. It was hosted by Darren Duarte, Communication Director for the Brockton Police Department and a prostate cancer survivor, Leona Martin, 2^nd VP and Education Chair and Eryn Roberts, a member of the AdMeTech event planning team.

Darren, Leona and Eryn were excellent hosts and kept the programming running smoothly.

It was great to hear remarks from Mayor Robert Sullivan and Senator Mike Brady who have been supporters of this work for a long time. There were also several clergy members in the audience, some familiar faces and some new ones.

We were delighted to see and hear a video from Kenneth Reeves, President of the Cambridge NAACP, former Mayor of Cambridge and a prostate cancer survivor. His words were very eloquent and compelling as he shared his experience with participating in the PCE Program (Prostate Cancer Equity) that AdMeTech has created for men in Massachusetts. It allows men to get second opinions if they have concerns about information they receive about their prostate health. President Reeves expressed his thanks and gratitude for the assistance that he received from Dr. Faina Shtern, President of AdMeTech Foundation.

Dr. Shaun Wason and Dr. Faina Shtern did their usual exceptional job of clearly explaining the incidence and treatment of Prostate Cancer. There were questions from the audience and they did a great job as always keeping us all informed.



The Focus Group that Steve Bernard started to address the needs of men in the Brockton Area has had remarkable dividends.   

The Brockton Area Branch NAACP congratulates Attorney Tiffanie Ellis-Niles on her Woman of Courage and Conviction award.

The award was given by The Greater Boston Section National Council of Negro Women, Inc. on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at the Venezia Restaurant, Boston.

Among her many accolades, Tiffanie is the president of the Massachusetts Black Bar Association.

Congratulations Attorney Niles. Well deserved.

FCR Walk for Survivor Safety - October 14, 2023

The Brockton Area Branch NAACP was pleased to be one of the sponsors for the FCR Walk for Survivor Safety.

It was a great day for a great event.

The event was held to raise awareness and support for survivors throughout Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Planet Earth Family Fun Night, STEM! - October 13, 2023

A great educational and fun event. Something for everyone. The event was held at the Brockton Library on October 17, 2023. It did not disappoint.

Hands on activities, Q&A session about the weather, and informational tables were just some of the many activities.

Pat Monteith and team did an outstanding job.

photos Janet Trask

The Brockton Area Branch NAACP will be participating in this year's Brockton's Annual Holiday Parade and Celebration.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2023

You can join in on the fun too.

Calling all vendors. If you would like a spot please click on the link and fill out the information.

Volunteers are always needed. If you would like to volunteer, please also click on the link.

Here is the link https://dbabrockton.org/volunteer-holiday-parade/

Please review a new initiative: Prostate Cancer Equity Program in Massachusetts.

This program is being launched by AdMeTech Foundation, in partnership with leading experts at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Mass General Hospital, and other clinical organizations.

The mission of this program is to save lives, deliver high-quality care and eliminate health inequalities.

Prostate cancer, striking 1 in 8 American men, is the most common and the second most lethal male cancer.

Any Massachusetts man 40 and older is welcome to take part. The program’s priority focus is on Black, African American, Hispanic and Latino men, who are at even higher risk of the disease, delayed diagnosis, poor quality care, and death.

For more information: admetech.org

The Brockton Area Branch NAACP is extremely busy. If you would like to join our organization and become a member of any of the active commitees, please contact: presidentphyllis@naacp-brocktonbranch.org

Committees

• ACT-SO - The Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological & Scientific Olympics mentoring program for high school students. With ACT-SO, the NAACP is providing an instrument through which African-American youth are encouraged and inspired toward excellence in academic and cultural pursuits while benefiting from the maximum support of their communities;
• The Committee on Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs shall: (1) seek to establish a working relationship with those agencies in government, national, state and local, having the responsibility in the affairs of members of the various Armed Services and Veterans and to see that the programs to which they are responsible are administered fairly and justly to members of the minority community; (2) study conditions pertaining to veterans and members of the Military Service and their dependents and/or survivors in the community; (3) serve as a center of information on matters affecting the members of the Active Military, Reserves, State National Guard and Veterans; (4) maintain a repository of materials, information and forms to be used in assisting veterans and/or dependents of veterans and military personnel with their problems; (5) receive and act on all complaints relative to acts of discrimination on account of race, color, creed, or denial of benefits to which they are entitled because of discrimination; (6) prepare a quarterly report on committee activities to be submitted to the Executive Committee of the Unit and the National Director of Armed Services and Veterans Affairs.ed Services and Veterans’ Affairs. 
• Education - The Committee on Education shall: (1) seek to eliminate segregation and other discriminatory. practices in public education; (2) study local educational conditions affecting minority groups; (3) investigate the public school system and school zoning; (4) familiarize itself with textbook material there from which racially derogatory; (5) seek to stimulate school attendance; (6) keep informed of school conditions and strive to correct abuses where found; (7) investigate the effects of standardized and high stakes testing practices; (8) teacher certification; (9) promote parental involvement in education; and (10) aim to be a center of popular education on the race question and on the work of the Association.
• Health - The Health Committee shall: (1) work to promote, protect and maintain the health of African Americans; (2) assess the health needs of the community; (3) advocate for equal access to health education, care, treatment and research for all Americans; (4) sponsor health-related activities such as health forums, fairs and workshops highlighting issues of importance to people of color; and (5) support health initiatives of the Association
• Housing - The Committee on Housing shall:) (1) study housing conditions in the local community; (2) receive and seek to address complaints of discrimination; (3) oppose all restrictive practices whether public or private; and (4) disseminate information and render such other assistance which may eliminate discrimination in housing.
• Legal Redress - The Legal Redress Committee shall: (1) investigate all cases reported to it; (2) supervise all litigation in which the Unit is interested; and (3) keep the National Office and the Branch informed on the progress of every case. It shall not give general legal advice.
• Political Action - The Political Action Committee shall: (1) seek to increase registration and voting; (2) work for the enactment of municipal, state and federal legislation designed to improve the educational, political and economic status of minority groups; (3) seek the repeal of racially discriminatory legislation; (4) work to improve the administration of justice; (5) work to secure equal enforcement of the law; and (6) keep the National Office and the Unit informed of all proposed legislation which affects minority groups. The Committee shall be nonpartisan and shall not endorse candidates for public office
• WIN (Women in NAACP) WIN shall address within the framework of the NAACP, civil rights issues affecting women and children and shall carry out other civil and cultural activities to enhance membership and provide financial support to the Branch. The purpose WIN is (1) to enhance the leadership role of women; (2) to serve as an advocacy vehicle to address the social, economic, political, educational, health and welfare issues affecting women; (3) to advocate for the emotional, mental, physical and spiritual development of children and (4) to support the policies as well as the on-going mission and vision of the NAACP. 

Brockton Area Branch NAACP

PO Box 1535

Brockton, MA 02303

(781) 807-1092