Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

June 2023

Announcements

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Did You Know?

Born 11/26/1939 in Brownsville. TN; Died 4/24/2023 In Switzerland
Tina Turner, who was born Anna Mae Bullock, was an American Born Singer.

Tina was the first African American and Female to appear as an Artist on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine.
She began singing in the Church Choir in Brownsville, Tennessee while being raised by her strict religious grandparents who were officers in the Baptist Church.
Tina joined Ike Turner’s band known as the Kings of Rhythm Band in East St. Louis, Illinois as a featured performer where they were later married.
Tina Turner rose to prominence as the Lead Singer in the Ike and Tina Turner Revue.
After her breakup with Ike, Tina launched a career as a sole performer where she is noted as one of the greatest performers of all time.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Tina Turner encouraged Black Empowerment in the ownership of “Proud Mary,” thereby encouraging ownership of one’s own story. She expressed that “Proud Mary” could be described in one word, “Freedom!”
While experiencing many indescribable highs and unimaginable lows, Tina Turner sold 100 million records, earned 12 Grammys, was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and earned many other honors and awards throughout her incredible life. She exclaimed recently that she was finally happy with her life.

GLENDA S. ROBINSON, HISTORIAN
NAACP BOULDER COUNTY BRANCH

Civic Engagement Committee

The Civic Engagement Committee has a new chair person in Dr. Stuart Lord.

For questions and how to become more involved, please contact Dr. Lord at: [email protected]

Coloradans for the Common Good (CCG)

May 6: 13 NAACP BC and BVEA Members attended a leadership workshop conducted by CCG organizers Brock Grosso and Jorge Montiel. All who attended felt it was a valuable experience. Since attending the workshop, 4 NAACP BC board members met to discuss forming a branch of CCG in Boulder. A list of 10 non-profit organizations and unions was created. These organizations will be approached about forming a CCG BC. Once there are some commitments to exploring this possibility, at least one of the organizers will make a presentation on what and how CCG works.

May 25: Annett James and I attended CCG’s Mayoral Community Action event at Bruce Randolph HS in Denver. There were over 350 CCG members present (CCG is composed of 30 Front Range organizations). 8 CCG members gave their stories, which were then part of the proposals presented to Denver mayoral candidates, Brough and Johnston. Both candidates had met with the planning team a day before the event to brief them on the questions they would be asked at the forum, which would be answered with a simple “yes or no.” We were interested in this type of forum as NAACP BC could use this format for such forums in Boulder Co. Here is the link to the Westward article on the event: https://www.westword.com/news/coloradans-for-the-common-good-denver-mayor-forum-16943329

On June 1, Annett , 2 CCG board members and I met with Sheriff Johnson to update him on the National Gun Safety Consortium (NGSC) project, which the Boulder County Sheriff’s Department though Sheriff Pelle joined almost 2 years ago. With Sheriff Johnson coming on in January 2023, communications by the NGSC lagged. Our goal was to get the sheriff’s department back on track with the testing of locked handguns. A follow up meeting will be in the 3rd week of July. For more information on the National Gun Safety Consortium see: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/FMfcgzGsmrDMJnhHwWdHhzPfkHrKvHJD?projector=1&messagePartId=0.1

Louisa Matthias
[email protected]

Communications Committee

Juneteenth is right around the corner, and the 3rd Annual Boulder County Juneteenth celebration will showcase a number of activities and performances. The planned events will feature two children’s book authors: Alice Faye Duncan, and Nyasha Williams. And Black Talk is thrilled to be able to speak with both of these prolific writers about their individual and collective journeys to create books that speak to all readers, especially Black children. You are invited to tune in to hear both Alice Faye and Nyasha read from several of their books. We will discuss their current and future projects, and talk about efforts afoot to ban certain books such as Alice Faye’s, Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop, about the 1968 sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis.

You are invited to tune in to Black Talk on Thursday, June 8th at 8:32 am on KGNU 88.5 FM.

If you’ve missed any shows, look for them at, Black Talk on KGNU. Remember: Black Talk airs on KGNU 88.5FM the second Thursday of every month at 8:32am – 9:30 am.

Join the Communications Committee! We need people who are interested in flexing their creativity muscles to create videos and podcasts, photography, writing, and graphics. Contact me if you are interested in joining this great team.

Sandra B. Daniel
media.naacpbouldercounty@gmail.com

Criminal Justice Committee

In May, the city of Boulder removed one of the candidates that had previously been approved for the Police Oversight Panel (“POP”). This was in response to a code of conduct complaint against the POP Selection Committee, which included representatives from El Centro Amistad and the NAACP Boulder County Branch, alleging that the Selection Committee had failed to account for real or perceived bias of the selected POP member. Jude Landsman, VP of the Branch, has filed a lawsuit against the city of Boulder and the city council of Boulder asking the District Court for Boulder to find that the Selection Committee members’ due process rights to a hearing and to present evidence was violated, and that the city abused its discretion (see the complaint here).

Our Branch was also contacted by the family of a Black high school student who has been removed from school in Boulder County and who faces criminal charges for alleged non-consensual physical contact. There will be a hearing on June 9th at 9 AM at the Boulder Court House, 1777 6th Street, Boulder 80302. Branch members are asked to support this young man by attending the hearing. Criminal Justice Committee Chair Darren O’Connor will be present to direct members to the correct courtroom, but you must show up before the start time of 9 AM.

The Mental Health Task Force is scheduling a meeting with the person in charge of mental health in the Boulder County Jail to learn more on the path to determining how best to work on improving such services.

The Criminal Justice Committee meets the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 5:30 PM, by Zoom. If you are interested in learning more about or joining the committee, contact Darren O’Connor at [email protected]

Economic Opportunity Committee

Economic Opportunity Committee meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 12:30 via zoom. Any member in good standing in NAACP Boulder County may attend, please contact Jude at econopps.[email protected] for the link. Our priorities are supporting Black owned businesses and professionals county-wide and working with businesses as corporate members to ensure equity, and foster diversity, vibrancy, and social responsibility in the community.

Jude Landsman
NAACP Boulder County
Vice President
Chair Economic Opportunity Committee

Education Committee

May 2023 Education Committee Report

The Education Committee is summer break. Meetings will resume with the start of the 2023-2024 school year. We encourage you to join us even if you are not a member of the committee. Please contact the Education Committee, for the Zoom link or for information about upcoming events: [email protected].

The Education Committee held a graduation event to honor 2023 graduates in May. Black BVSD and SVVSD seniors had an in-person party in May, and received Kente cloths, monetary gifts, and NAACP memberships. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of this event, and to the gifts for graduates!
The Education Committee is working with other NAACP branches to co-host an HBCU college fair for area high school students this fall.
The BoCo NAACP DEI Collaborative is a collaboration of parent-led DEI committees across BVSD and St. Vrain schools. If your school is not participating this year but would like to participate for 2023-2024, please email [email protected].
Four Boulder Valley School District School Board seats will be up for election this November. If you live in Districts A, C, D, or G, you have an opportunity to run for a seat on the BVSD School Board.

Please contact [email protected] to help with any or all of this work!

Environmental & Climate Justice Committee

EJ Committee May 2023 Report

EJ Committee members have been reaching out to other Boulder County environmental groups in order to draft a comprehensive EJ agenda for the County.
Dr. Sheila Davis and Ms. Sepideh Miller will meet with BVSD administrators to discuss plans to electrify the school bus fleet.
The EJ Committee has been working with Black Parents United Foundation on a policy statement to alert residents of Commerce City when the air quality is poor.
The EJ Committee will meet at 4:30 pm on Sunday, June 4th at the Boulder Friends Meetinghouse.

Sheila Davis, MD
Health Chair
Rocky Mountain NAACP State Conference

Freedom Fund

NAACP and ECAACE Announce 3rd Annual Boulder County Juneteenth 2023 Celebration!

Boulder County, May 25, 2023– The NAACP Boulder County and ECAACE (Executive Committee, African American Cultural Events, BoCo) are thrilled to announce the return of the highly anticipated 3rd Annual Boulder County Juneteenth Celebration! This year’s event promises to be even more exciting and meaningful, showcasing a range of engaging activities and inspiring performances. From June 17, 2023, through June 19, 2023, Boulder County will come alive with the spirit of Juneteenth, commemorating the historic emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. The celebration will kick off with uplifting flag-raising ceremonies held in collaboration with various municipalities across Boulder County. One of the highlights of the event will be a young writers’ master class, led by acclaimed author Nyasha Williams. Young aspiring writers will have the unique opportunity to learn from and be inspired by Williams, as she shares her insights and guides them on their creative journeys. This master class promises to be a transformative experience for all participants, fostering the next generation of talented storytellers.

Culminating the celebrations is a spectacular performance by NAACP Image Award Nominee and renowned author, Alice Faye Duncan. Duncan’s captivating Juneteenth Celebration performance will leave the audience spellbound, as she eloquently weaves together history, culture, and storytelling into a mesmerizing experience. Through her powerful words and enchanting presence, Duncan will remind us of the importance of commemorating Juneteenth and the ongoing fight for equality and justice.

The 3rd Annual Boulder County Juneteenth Celebration promises to be a vibrant and unforgettable experience for all attendees. Events are free and open to the entire community, fostering a sense of togetherness and solidarity. Join us in honoring this significant milestone in African American history and celebrating the richness of our diverse culture.

For more information and updates on the 3rd Annual Boulder County Juneteenth Celebration, please visit Juneteenth Boulder County 2023 Events

Post-Secondary Education Task Force

The Task Force on Post Secondary Education is now reporting quarterly. Our next report will be made available following the June 30 CU Boulder Advancement quarterly closing date. Our May 01 report can be seen below.

Task Force on Post Secondary Education Report, May 01, 2023

The Task Force on Post Secondary Education’s CY 2023 priorities are: 1. fundraising for The Center for African & African American Studies (CAAAS) and 2. developing relationships with students, faculty, and staff at the University of Colorado Boulder campus.

We are pleased to report that as of the close of the quarter ending March 30, 2023 our Boulder County NAACP chapter’s fundraising effort grew from $177,757.00 to a total of $229,307.00 Our goal is to reach $500,00.00 on or before June 2026.

Our thanks continue to go out to our community partners; the Argosy Foundation, the Brett Family Foundation, the Bamboo Fund, all of our branch members and friends who have contributed to this very worthy cause (CAAAS).

All persons and entities who wish for their donations to be identified as Boulder County NAACP contributions are to use the following link, https://giving.cu.edu/BoulderNAACPCAAAS.

This link ensures that your CAAAS gift/donation is credited to our Boulder County NAACP $500,000 fundraising effort.

Please note that our next fundraising update will be made available following the June 30, 2023 closing date.

Thank you,
Your Task Force on Post Secondary Education Co-chairpersons
Irene Griego, Linda Shoemaker, and Thomas Windham

Please click on the following link for the latest CAAAS Newsletter.

For additional CAAAS upcoming events please consult your CAAAS Newsletter.

Religious Affairs Committee

The RAC welcomes our newest congregational member: Columbine Unity Spiritual Group. Many thanks to all the congregations who have become members, and please keep in mind the need to renew that membership annually. That is how we are able to offer the events that we do. (https://naacpbouldercounty.org/congregational-membership/)

We had a successful event in April on the Solidarity Dividend, which continued the conversation about the book The Sum of Us, and also introduced the topic of the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation process (https://healourcommunities.org/). We are continuing that conversation, and a group of 7 enthusiastic volunteers will be implementing the next steps. There are many others who have indicated interest in further conversations and possible interfaith actions around that.

For more information:

RAC: please contact Judy Huston ([email protected]),

TRHT, contact Neil Bernstein ([email protected]),

Or check out the NAACP BoCo website (https://naacpbouldercounty.org/)