Our Mission Statement: to achieve equity, political rights and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination and accelerate the wellbeing, education and economic security of Black people and all persons of color.
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Message from the President
George Floyd - Remember?
Five years ago, the world stopped and watched in horror.
George Floyd—an unarmed Black man—was pinned to the ground by a police officer’s knee pressed into his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds.
A nonchalant officer, hands in his pockets, indifferent to George’s fading cries: "I can’t breathe."
We watched. We listened. We gasped.
And for a moment, the world woke up.
That moment shattered the illusion for some that we were living in a just society. It jolted many from a Rip Van Winkle-like slumber, exposing the deep, enduring roots of systemic racism. People took to the streets. Voices rose. Corporations pledged change. Policies were examined. DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives were born. It felt—for a moment—like progress had real momentum.
And yet, five years later, we are watching some of those same commitments erode.
DEI programs are being dismantled. Corporate pledges are being quietly abandoned.
The same energy that once promised justice is now being redirected, resisted, or erased.
Why?
George Floyd’s death was not just a tragedy. It was a call to action. It forced institutions to look inward. It sparked reforms in policing, boardrooms, classrooms, and communities. And it reminded the world that Black lives must not only matter in hashtags—but in practice, policy, and everyday life.
Now is not the time to forget.
Now is not the time to retreat.
We cannot go back to a world where injustice hides in plain sight, where silence replaces accountability.
The NAACP is fighting to ensure we don’t regress. And I am asking you to fight too.
Fight with your vote. Fight with your voice. Fight with your presence and persistence.
Let us not dishonor George Floyd’s memory by slipping back into comfort or complacency.
Let us honor him by continuing to demand a more just, equitable world—for everyone.
We must remember. We must act. We must never go back.
Phyllis Ellis
President
| | Pictured above: Vanessa Nascimento, Education Chair, Ariana Vale, Berline Pierre Louis, Sydné Marrow, BHS principal, Kevin McCaskill, Ana Oliver, Ward 6 School Committee, Nadia Clancy (mother of Aidan) and Ariana Vale | |
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May 12, 2025
The NAACP Brockton Area Branch Education Committee proudly hosted the 3rd Annual Education Scholarship Award Ceremony. The event was held on May 12th at the Brockton Public Library to honor our 2025 Scholarship Award winners. We awarded $1,000 scholarships to three exceptional graduating seniors from Attleboro High School (Ariana Vale), Brockton High School (Berline Pierre Louis), and East Bridgewater High Schoo (Aidan Clancy).
One of the requirements was to write a 500 page essay explaining why they chose this area to study and what career they hope to pursue.
Congratulations to our 2025 scholarship winners! We are proud of you and excited to see what comes next.
A special thank you to Sydné Marrow, Chief of Staff who presented citations on behalf of Mayor Sullivan, to Principal Kevin McCaskill for attending and sharing his words of wisdom and to Ana Oliver, Ward 6 School Committee for her support.
Thank you to the Education Committee (Cathy, Frances, Keisha, Nichole, Tyler, Cassie, Michelle) and to all who joined us.
See Enterprise Article Below
https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/education/2025/05/28/naacp-honors-three-high-school-seniors-for-leadership-and-resilience/83722776007/
Vanessa Nascimento
Chair, Education Committee
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COMING SOON!
The NAACP Brockton Area Branch Education Committee has launched a new DEI Reading Partnership with Brockton Public Schools. Each month, committee members will visit Kennedy Elementary School to read diverse and inclusive books to a 4th grade class. The goal is to celebrate differences, encourage empathy, and spark meaningful conversations with students.
Interested in becoming a classroom volunteer?
Reach out to Education Committee Chair Vanessa Nascimento to get involved and support this meaningful initiative!
Vanessa Nascimento
Chair, Education Committee
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Title: The Silence of Dissent: Why Some Black Americans and Public Officials Refrain from Criticizing Trump
Byline: By Dr. Patricia Jackson
Date: April 16, 2025
In the years since Donald Trump first descended that escalator in 2015, countless headlines chronicled the chaos, controversy, and constitutional crises that defined his presidency. But as the nation looks at the current state, a quieter question lingers: Why do so many African Americans in positions of power—and even federal officials at large—refrain from speaking out forcefully against an administration many privately view as antithetical to democracy and civil rights?
The answer lies in a potent mix of fear, pragmatism, and institutional constraint.
The Trump White House doesn’t need to issue direct threats. Its message is implicit, but unmistakable: loyalty is rewarded, dissent punished. Public criticism often results in Twitter tirades, personal investigations, and smear campaigns. The ousting of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman following his impeachment testimony served as a warning, not just to military personnel but to civil servants across agencies.
For Black professionals—who often work within institutions where they are already underrepresented—this atmosphere amplifies long-standing pressures to maintain a low profile. Some Americans expected legacy civil rights organizations to offer a more aggressive counterweight to the Trump Administration. But that expectation didn’t account for the realities of political survival.
Many national civil rights leaders choose a strategy of quiet engagement over public confrontation. With federal funding for housing, education, and justice reform in play, the perceived risk of alienating the White House often outweighs the benefits of condemnation. There is a very real fear that the administration would retaliate against entire communities if they felt publicly attacked. This isn’t theoretical—it has precedent.
In Black religious communities, the silence is more complicated. Some clergy leaders, particularly in conservative-leaning congregations, avoid overt political commentary altogether. Others fear splitting their churches across generational or class lines.
Historically, the Black church has served as a pillar of resistance in the face of injustice. But during the Trump era, some leaders say the moral clarity of the pulpit is blurred by institutional preservation and electoral uncertainty.
The silence, then, is not passive. It is strategic, and often deeply personal. For some, it is about job security. For others, about protecting vulnerable communities. For others still, it is a matter of emotional and psychological self-preservation. Speaking up doesn’t always feel like power. Sometimes, it feels like sacrifice without guarantee.
In hindsight, many are beginning to question the price of that silence.
As the political pendulum swings once again and the nation grapples with democratic erosion and the normalization of authoritarian rhetoric, this period offers a crucial lesson: silence, even when understandable, has consequences.
For Black Americans—who have long borne the weight of dual consciousness in American political life—the cost of dissent has always been steep. But the Trump years force many to ask: When is the cost of silence even greater?
As we prepare for the next chapter in American democracy, the answer to that question may define not just policy, but the moral direction of the nation.
Editor’s Note: Dr. Patricia Jackson is a policy advisor and writer with expertise in public administration, civil rights, and community development.
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We honor our fallen soldiers on this day. We honor those who we lost and those who are still with us. We thank them for their service to this nation.
A proud wife (Leona)
Look whose picture posted on a banner in the City of Champions. So proud to see my boo recognized for his Military service here in Brockton. It is posted near our favorite ice cream spot, Dairy Queen on the West Side of the City. Thank you to the Veteran's Services staff of Brockton.
On behalf of the NAACP Brockton Area Branch, thank you Thomas for your service and congratulations.
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June 12, 2025 - Virtual Prostate Cancer Event
Take Control of your life! Know your risks.
Join us for this virtual event. Hear from prominent doctors, Brockton delegation and prostate cancer survivors.
Prostate cancer discriminates!
To join Live: Visit Admetech.org
June 12 - 6:30 to 8pm
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For Juneteenth, the NAACP Brockton Area Branch will host tables at various events.
June 14, 2025 - African American Association at Brockton Fairgrounds. - Noon to 6pm
Please join us for an afternoon of vendors, performers, food, music and much more. There will be a chance to win a Kayak too.
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June 19. 2025
The NAACP Brockton Area Branch Education Committee will host a table at the Harambee Learning and Culture Center and the Bay State Chapter of NCBAA for the 6th Annual Juneteenth Celebration.
Th event will take place at Massasoit Community College from 12pm to 3pm.
Join us for remembrance, entertainment and more.
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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 committees, please contact: presidentphyllis@naacp-brocktonbranch.org
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Committees
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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;
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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.
Economic Development. The Committee on Economic Development shall implement local efforts and support national programs to preserve and expand economic empowerment among African-Americans and other communities of color by: (1) researching and establishing relationships with private and public entities; (2) supporting the work of the National Office in monitoring the progress and activity of private and public entities designated by national programs; and (3) implementing local efforts to promote the growth of business ownership; (4) increasing employment and job creation; and (5) encouraging business development and home ownership.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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