UA students join in celebrating 100 years of NAACP
Members of the UA chapter of NAACP celebrate Founders Day on campus, honor people of color in the arts
Bailey McBride
Issue date: 2/13/09 Section: News
The UA chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is celebrating along with the rest of the country this week as it commemorates the founding of the organization 100 years ago.
Festivities reached their pinnacle yesterday as the chapter celebrated Founders Day in Giffels Auditorium in Old Main. Participants then watched the NAACP Image Awards, a ceremony in its 40th year of celebrating people of color in the arts, in the Multicultural Center.
"We definitely try to use the mission statement of the NAACP in our programming," said Harry McCraney, first vice president of the NAACP on campus.
The mission of the NAACP calls members to, among other things, "ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of all citizens," according to the organization's Web site.
On campus, the NAACP chapter has hosted numerous programs to help educate and enrich the community. Nationally, the NAACP has programs that it makes readily available to campus chapters so they can host events, even when their funds are minimal.
Past programs have included a screening and discussion of a film about "Juneteenth" and its meaning, an "NAACP Speaks Out" forum for students to vocalize their concerns, an educational program on social security, and events focusing on the Little Rock Nine and the election.
In March, the NAACP will host a program on Afrocentrism and what it means to be afrocentric.
"We just try to do what we can to help make people aware," McCraney said.
The week of celebration began Monday, when the NAACP on campus joined with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Gamma Eta Sorority to sponsor a minority health fair and awareness day in the Union Connections Lounge that included educational opportunities and the chance to get a free AIDS test.
On Tuesday, members set up in the Union to educate other students on campus about the NAACP as a national organization and help provide information for students who wanted to get involved on campus.
Festivities reached their pinnacle yesterday as the chapter celebrated Founders Day in Giffels Auditorium in Old Main. Participants then watched the NAACP Image Awards, a ceremony in its 40th year of celebrating people of color in the arts, in the Multicultural Center.
"We definitely try to use the mission statement of the NAACP in our programming," said Harry McCraney, first vice president of the NAACP on campus.
The mission of the NAACP calls members to, among other things, "ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of all citizens," according to the organization's Web site.
On campus, the NAACP chapter has hosted numerous programs to help educate and enrich the community. Nationally, the NAACP has programs that it makes readily available to campus chapters so they can host events, even when their funds are minimal.
Past programs have included a screening and discussion of a film about "Juneteenth" and its meaning, an "NAACP Speaks Out" forum for students to vocalize their concerns, an educational program on social security, and events focusing on the Little Rock Nine and the election.
In March, the NAACP will host a program on Afrocentrism and what it means to be afrocentric.
"We just try to do what we can to help make people aware," McCraney said.
The week of celebration began Monday, when the NAACP on campus joined with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Gamma Eta Sorority to sponsor a minority health fair and awareness day in the Union Connections Lounge that included educational opportunities and the chance to get a free AIDS test.
On Tuesday, members set up in the Union to educate other students on campus about the NAACP as a national organization and help provide information for students who wanted to get involved on campus.
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