After 10 Years, Julian Bond Makes Way for "New Generation of NAACP Board Leadership"

Baltimore Sun reports that our boy Julian Bond is finally stepping down as Chairman of the NAACP's board after 10 years, although he will still remain on the Board. He has served in that lead role since 1998. Julian, who at 68 years old is a member of the Silent Generation, said the time is right to "let a new generation of leaders" take over the NAACP. Sho' ya right. Bond's latest contribution was to urge the Board to hire 35 year old Gen Xer Benjamin Jealous as the new President/CEO of the organization.

My pick for the next Board Chair of the NAACP? Roslyn Brock, who is currently the Vice Chairwoman, is 42 years old, and fully represents next generation leadership on a board that is mostly made of 50+ leaders (as you can see from the picture above). Also it would be high time to see a woman lead the NAACP, on a board with 6o odd members and only 20 women.

I've blogged previously about my opinion on what the NAACP needs to do now to remain relevant and effective as they reach their 100th anniversary of being founded in 1909. I think that at this point, they have the right leadership in their ranks, and now just need to announce a bold new vision for the organization that involves the next generation and makes visible change in the lives of people of color. In any case, I just re-joined the NAACP and my local chapter, hoping to get more involved as the NAACP charts what will hopefully be a new course.