In this Issue:
- President's Message
- Special General Membership Meeting | October 22
- Souls to the Polls | October 27
- 2024 Freedom Fund Gala | November 2
- Advertising Opportunity
- Join the Fight
- Available Internship
- Highlights from the Boys to Men Symposium
- Highlights from Voter Registration Events
- Highlights from the Candidate Meet and Greet and Candidate Forum
- Reclaim Our Vote Campaign
- Member Spotlight
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Maintain Your Membership
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A Message From Our President | |
Members, Supporters, and Friends of the Branch,
As many of you know, the work of social justice never ends. Our branch committees continue to push for much-needed reforms in housing, education, criminal justice, environmental justice, and economic policies, to name just a few.
We had a very busy September, starting with attending two local community events: Reston Pride and the Vienna Friends and Family Reunion 2024. The organizers of the Vienna Friends and Family Reunion requested that the Fairfax County NAACP Branch provide a voter registration table at its annual event, held on September 21, 2024. Hundreds of friends and family who grew up in the Vienna area attended. This annual event brings together Black families who no longer live in the Vienna area. The Political Action Committee (PAC) provided registration materials and absentee ballot applications to attendees. On the same day, the Reston Multicultural Festival was also held. This festival celebrates the diversity of Reston, bringing together the people of Reston and the region to honor its many cultures. The PAC set up a table with voter registration and voter education information.
On September 25th, the Fairfax County NAACP was pleased to co-sponsor an event alongside the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area. Over 100 community members attended to hear from candidates running for Mayor and Council member positions, as well as School Board candidates, who participated in a meet-and-greet. PAC members, along with representatives from other partner organizations, served as hostesses for the event.
The Fairfax County NAACP Young Adults Committee hosted our first Boys 2 Men Symposium on Saturday, September 28th, at the Gum Springs Community Center. The event aimed to inspire and empower young boys by providing valuable resources, insights, and mentorship opportunities.
We ended our very busy month with another co-sponsored event: a Candidate Forum featuring the candidates for Congressional Districts 10 and 11. The event, co-sponsored by several other community organizations, was held on September 30th. It was sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area and the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. The Forum was televised on Fairfax Public Access, Channel 10, and streamed on YouTube. Congressional candidates answered questions submitted by sponsors and the public.
Looking ahead, our annual Freedom Fund event will take place on November 2nd. Join us for an evening of networking, music, food, and fun—all for a good cause! Tickets are currently on sale at an early bird rate, so be sure to purchase while they’re still discounted.
As the Presidential and State elections approach, there is still much work to do, especially since Virginia holds elections every year. Voting is one of the most impactful actions you can take for yourself and your community. It’s not uncommon for elections to have razor-thin margins, so it’s imperative that your vote and your voice are counted. To learn more about Virginia elections, visit elections.virginia.gov. .
Donations to the Fairfax County NAACP: We rely on the support of individuals and businesses in our community to continue our fight for racial justice. Your gift will be used 100% in support of our advocacy on behalf of Black people and people of color in Fairfax County. For donation information, please click here.
We continue to need YOUR engagement and involvement in EVERY advocacy effort. Please JOIN or RENEW your membership today. If you haven't joined a committee, please SIGN UP today.
Together In Service,
Niki Zimmerman
Proud President, Fairfax County NAACP
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General Membership Meeting | |
Join Us for a Special Guest at Our Next General Membership Meeting
We are honored to announce that Mr. Stephen Pitts-Miller, Civic Engagement Director for NAACP Virginia, will be joining us as the special guest at our General Membership Meeting on October 22!
Stephen Pitts-Miller is a combat veteran, military spouse, father, educator, service-disabled small business owner, homeowner, and community activist. He has always been committed to serving his faith, family, community, and nation. He joined the military directly from high school after the passing of his brother during his senior year. Stephen served honorably before retiring in 2015 due to deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Stephen is dedicated to preparing his students at Virginia State University with the tools to impact the world. He fights for core issues such as veterans advocacy, mental health, small businesses, workers' rights and unions, criminal justice reform, environmental justice, and education. As the NAACP Virginia Civic Engagement Director for the 2024 election cycle, Stephen is helping Virginia NAACP branches engage, educate, and mobilize voters.
With elections just around the corner, it’s more important than ever to be an informed voter. Being knowledgeable about the candidates, issues, and policies on the ballot empowers us to make decisions that reflect the needs and values of our communities. Every vote counts, and your voice has the power to shape the future. Stay engaged, ask questions, and ensure you’re prepared to make a meaningful impact at the polls this election season. Don’t miss this inspiring and informative session with Stephen Miller-Pitts, as we explore the critical role voter engagement plays in strengthening our democracy.
Register Below!
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Join Us for Souls to the Polls Sundays!
On October 27th, bring your appetite and your voice! We're hosting a FREE Fish Fry for Sunday voters at Mt. Vernon Government Center from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Get a delicious fish dinner when you show your "I Voted" sticker!
Date: October 27
Time: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Mt. Vernon Government Center, 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria
Voting early in Fairfax County? Cast your vote with us at any of the following locations, until November 2nd:
Location | Address
Mt. Vernon Governmental Center | 2511 Parkers Ln, Alexandria
Fairfax County Government Center | 12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax
North County Governmental Center | 1801 Cameron Glen Dr, Reston
Mason Governmental Center | 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale
McLean Governmental Center | 1437 Balls Hill Rd, McLean
Sully Governmental Center | 4900 Stonecraft Blvd, Chantilly
Franconia Governmental Center | 6121 Franconia Rd, Alexandria
Burke Centre Library | 5935 Freds Oak Rd, Burke
Herndon Fortnightly Library | 768 Center St, Herndon
Lorton Community Center | 9520 Richmond Hwy, Lorton
Jim Scott Community Center | 3001 Vaden Dr, Fairfax
Great Falls Library | 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls
West Springfield Government Center | 6140 Rolling Rd, Springfield
Centreville Regional Library | 14200 St. Germain Dr, Centreville
Tysons-Pimmit Library | 7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church
Thomas Jefferson Library | 7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church|
Your vote is your voice! See you at the polls!
*This event is co-sponsored by Fairfax NAACP*
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Tickets are now available for the Fairfax County NAACP's 2024 Freedom Fund Gala, Together We Rise, on November 2, 2024, at the Tysons Marriott in Tysons Corner, Virginia, from 5:30 to 9:30 PM. This annual event is our largest fundraiser, bringing together members, friends, and supporters for a powerful evening of celebration and recognition.
The funds raised support key initiatives, including:
Economic Development and Empowerment: Promoting racial equity and supporting small business growth.
Education and Scholarships: Ensuring equal educational opportunities and awarding scholarships to local students.
Health Awareness: Addressing healthcare disparities among people of color.
Political Action: Empowering voters through education, registration, and electoral participation programs.
Housing: Advancing affordable, equitable housing and combating discrimination to ensure fair access for all.
Keynote Speaker
Tezlyn Figaro
Tezlyn Figaro, founder of the award-winning Tezlyn Figaro Communications Group, specializes in communications solutions, political strategy, and crisis management for top leaders. As a certified Florida Supreme Court Civil Mediator and trainer, she designs customized training programs and is the creator of the 'Push the Line' nonpartisan political training program. Tezlyn hosts the *Straight Shot, No Chaser* podcast on Charlamagne Tha God's Black Effect Podcast Network and regularly appears on major platforms like The Breakfast Club, Fox News, and MSNBC. She has contributed to high-profile cases such as George Floyd and the Flint water crisis and has received numerous accolades, including the 2023 'Champion of Change' award from UCLA's Black Law Students Association.
Master of Ceremony
Bryan Hill, Fairfax County Executive
Event Highlights
- Spoken word by Ms. Clevette C Roberts
- DJ Jose
- Recognition of Veterans
- Community Award Winners
- Vendors
- Silent Auction
- 60/40 Raffle
Ticket Pricing
- Non-member adults: $125
- NAACP members: $90
- Children (10 and under): $50
Your participation helps fund our efforts to create a stronger, more inclusive community. For more information, contact Evelyn Spain at freedomfund@fairfaxnaacp.org.
Click the link below to purchase your tickets today and join us for an unforgettable evening!
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Advertise in the Fairfax NAACP Freedom Fund Gala Brochure!
Align your brand with a cause that matters. By advertising in our official gala brochure, you’ll reach a dedicated audience and showcase your support for social justice and civil rights. This is a great chance to promote your church, community organization, or business.
Ad Rates:
• Full Page: $250
• Half Page: $175
• Quarter Page: $90
Submit your ad by October 19, 2024, and email your logo in jpeg, png, or pdf format to freedomfund@fairfaxnaacp.org or communications@fairfaxnaacp.org.
Thank you for standing with us!Together, we rise for justice. Be part of an unforgettable night—purchase your ad space today by scanning the QR code or click the button below.
Thank you for standing with us!
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Join the Fight for Justice!
The Legal Redress Committee of the Fairfax NAACP is seeking passionate and dedicated individuals to join our team. If you’re committed to advocating for civil rights and making a difference in our community, we want to hear from you!
The Legal Redress Committee aims to investigate all cases that have been identified as discriminatory and provide support to complainants across Fairfax County. *The Committee does not give legal advice.*
If you’re interested in becoming a part of our mission, please reach out to us for more information at legalredress@fairfaxnaacp.org
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If you are interested in gaining valuable experience working on civil rights issues, consider applying to be an intern with the Fairfax County NAACP Legal Redress Committee.
The Legal Redress Committee investigates discrimination complaints based on incidents that happen within Fairfax County. We provide complainants support on issues of employment, housing, education, consumer transactions, banking, racial profiling, encounters with police, and similar matters. As an intern, you would help to:
- collect information to support complainants
- find resources to help resolve complaints
- draft letters/emails on behalf of complainants
- support complainants in any meetings related to their complaints (such as EEOC hearings or school IEP meetings)
- research housing, education, employment, and criminal justice issues relevant to the committee's work
Please submit a resume and cover letter indicating your interest to: legalredress@fairfaxnaacp.com.
*Must be 18 or older to apply.* Flexible scheduling available.
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Highlights From the Boys to Men Symposium | |
The Fairfax County NAACP Young Adults Committee proudly hosted its inaugural Boys 2 Men Symposium on September 28th at the Gum Springs Community Center. This impactful event not only provided young boys with inspiration, valuable resources, and mentorship opportunities, but also gave them a chance to have fun and make new friends. Special thanks to committee chairs Jaelin Mitchell and Nico Climaco, Dominion Energy, the volunteers, speakers, and everyone who contributed to making this event a success!
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Young Adult Committee Chair, Jaelin Mitchell, kicking off the event. | | |
Guest speaker Coach Marvin Powell (L) with Fairfax County NAACP president Niki Zimmerman. | | |
Nico Climaco, Co-chair of the Young Adults Committee, leads a breakout session where attendees engage in discussions, receive mentorship, and explore valuable life skills during the Boys 2 Men Symposium. | | |
Participants diving into hands-on activities and interactive discussions, building connections and gaining new insights. | | |
Time to eat! Attendees took a break to refuel, enjoy delicious food, and connect with each other. | | |
Boys enjoying a well-deserved break, sharing a meal and forming new friendships. | | |
Having a blast at the game truck! Attendees enjoyed fun games and friendly competition. | | |
Attendees inside the game truck, having a great time playing video games. | | |
Highlights from Our Voter Registration Events | |
Our Political Action Committee (PAC) participated in two significant events on September 21, 2024. At the Vienna Friends and Family Reunion, we set up a voter registration table, engaging hundreds of attendees and providing access to absentee ballot applications for Black families reconnecting with their roots. Simultaneously, our PAC participated in the Reston Multicultural Festival, offering voter registration and educational resources to celebrate the diversity of our community.
A special thank you to PAC Chair Lenior Simmons and her dedicated team for their hard work in making these events a success. Your voice matters—let’s continue to make it heard!
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PAC Committee Members at the Vienna Friends and Family Reunion (from left to right): Lenior Simmons, President Nikki Zimmerman, Wallica Gill | | |
PAC Committee Members at the Reston Multicultural Festival (from left to right): Andrea Wellington, Mbenoye Diagne, Tivonia Nagle | | |
Highlights from the Candidate Meet and Greet and Candidate Forum | |
On September 25th, the Fairfax County NAACP's Political Action Committee proudly co-sponsored an event with the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area, attracting over 100 community members. Attendees had the opportunity to meet candidates running for Mayor, Council member, and School Board positions. This engagement fosters an informed electorate and strengthens our community ties.
Additionally, we co-sponsored a Candidate Forum on September 30th featuring candidates for Congressional Districts 10 and 11. This event, held in partnership with several community organizations, was televised on Fairfax Public Access and streamed on YouTube, allowing more residents to engage with the electoral process. Through these initiatives, we continue to empower our community to make their voices heard.
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Candidates for Mayor and Council in attendance at the Candidate Meet and Greet. | | |
PAC Chair, Lenoir Simmons, along with members of the League of Women Voters and other co-sponsoring organizations, at the Candidate Meet and Greet. | | |
PAC member Wallicia Gill (right) with incumbent Mayor Catherine S. Reed at the Candidate Meet and Greet | | |
PAC Chair Lenior Simmons, along with members of the League of Women Voters and other co-sponsoring organizations, stand with the moderator, Alpha Woolen (center), at the Sept. 30th Candidate Forum. | | |
PAC Chair, Lenior Simmons, is in the control room answering the phone and taking questions from the public during the Sep. 30 Candidate Forum. | | |
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Reclaim Our Vote Campaign | |
Help us reach Black voters in Florida and Georgia!
After the events of the past couple of weeks, it's more important than ever that we get out the vote, and we could really use your help! We have launched postcarding to Georgia for the general election—and we still have plenty of addresses for Florida.
In Georgia, we are part of Team Unity Georgia, a coalition of groups working to fight voter suppression in that state. We aim to reach at l east 600,000 Black voters with our postcards, encouraging them to vote early and to use ActiVote to educate themselves about who will be on the ballot.
In Florida, we are writing to 900,000 plus Black women who are registered voters. In addition to voting for federal, state, and local offices, Floridians will be voting on six ballot initiatives, including a state constitutional amendment protecting reproductive rights.
Important reminders:
– Please hold onto the postcards that you've written until October. The mailing window for all of our general election campaigns except for Virginia is Oct. 1-15.
– All of the files that you need to postcard are included in the e-mail that you receive from Sincere after you submit an address request. This includes the addresses, the script, a sample postcard, general guidelines, and sticker templates. In addition, you can always find these files by looking up the address request in your Sincere account.
– Please write to only one campaign at a time to prevent mixing up addresses and stickers. After finishing an address list for a city or county, destroy the list, the script and any remaining printed stickers before requesting addresses from another campaign.
– You must follow our script exactly and you must handwrite the script (except for the sticker text) and address.
– Use only ROV postcards. ROV postcards must not be used for any other organization's postcard campaigns.
COMING SOON: we plan to start postcarding to Texas by July 19. In August, we'll launch Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. To see current plans for all of our postcard campaigns, go here, and keep checking Sincere for new postcard campaigns.
We hope you'll continue writing with us throughout the summer and into the fall. We have a lot of voters to reach, which is why we're starting our campaigns so early.
Additional resources can be found on our Volunteer Dashboard. Recordings of past webinars can be found on our YouTube channel. And our Annual Report is here.
For more information on this initiative, please follow the link below..
THE CENTER FOR COMMON GROUND
The Center for Common Ground of Virginia is a 501(c)3 organization. Since late 2017, our nonpartisan Reclaim Our Vote Campaign has reached millions of voters of color in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. For the 2020 election including the primaries, the General Election, and the January 5 runoff, Reclaim Our Vote reached out to 14 million voters. We distributed 9.4 million postcard addresses, sent 2.9 million text messages, and made 1.7 million phone calls.
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Welcome to our Member Spotlight! Each month, we’ll be shining a light on one of our amazing members who embodies the spirit of our community. | |
Les Shockley
Les Shockley is married with one adult daughter and has lived in Fairfax County for 21 years. He graduated from Union College (NY) with a B.A. in Economics and an MBA from Columbia University (NY). Now retired, Les spent his career as a Finance professional largely with multinational companies working in Treasury and Finance. During his 17-year tenure with Philip Morris, he worked in the Latin America region and spent four years as Director of Finance living in Panama. He transitioned to the federal government working with the Office of the U. S. Trade Representative under the Executive Office of the President in 2003 where he was Director of Finance & Budget until his retirement in 2018.
Les has been active in voluntary roles in different arenas throughout his professional life. With his 2022 return to the NAACP, he has come full circle having served as a Vice President of the Chelsea-Greenwich Village Chapter in New York City many years ago. Since joining the Fairfax County chapter, he has worked with the Legal Redress Committee. He currently serves on the Executive Committee, Second Parliamentarian, and heads the Budget Committee. The Budget Committee works to support the chapter’s Advocacy Committees funding goals. The Budget Committee strives to influence political leaders and governing bodies to support the NAACP’s interests. He is an active member of Heritage Fellowship Church serving on two committees. He is also a member of the Invest4Fairfax coalition. His other interests are tennis, travel, and the arts.
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A friendly reminder to those who pay annual membership dues to belong to the NAACP:
We rely on those dues payments to help us meet our financial obligations, both at the local, state, and national level. Your contributions and engagement are important to us. Please take a moment to check your membership card and see if it’s time to make your dues contribution.
Payment is simple. The following link will bring you to our Fairfax County NAACP web site, where you can update your membership information and then pay via PayPal. Please also consider making a donation when you remit your dues payment.
We very much appreciate your ongoing support and look forward to engaging with you.
For questions about your membership dues, please contact our Branch Secretary Mike O'Brien at secretary@fairfaxnaacp.org.
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Have you joined the movement?
Your Support of Fairfax County NAACP makes a direct and positive impact in our community!
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Fairfax NAACP Executive Committee | | | | |