Virtual NAACP national convention still has lessons for Boston, advocates say
The NAACP national convention, once touted as a way for Boston to try to show racial progress, starts its nearly all-virtual schedule this weekend — but local leaders say it’s still an important moment for the city amid the national reckoning on racial issues.
“This is a time of heightened consciousness around race so it presents an opportunity for us to tie these national conversations to systemic injustices locally,” said Michael Curry, a former president of the Boston branch who now is on the executive board for the national organization. “People are willing to pay attention and reflect — there’s a prime opportunity to make long-term sustainable change.”
The 111th annual convention for the Black racial advocacy group had been set to take place July 25-29 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. It was expected to draw in about 10,000 people, including presidential candidates and other political figures.
City and state officials had hoped that this convention could showcase progress in Boston, a city with a checkered racial history and that last hosted the convention in 1982 amid a time of major racial strife in the city.
But the coronavirus pandemic changed those plans, causing the NAACP to push the convention back a bit and move it all online. Now, the main national convention will take place virtually starting Aug. 2.
Before then, though, the local branch of the NAACP will host several events over a “Freedom Weekend” starting Friday, including a drive-in soul music concert and a day of volunteering.
Tanisha Sullivan, president of the Boston branch of the NAACP, said the local chapter will also hold roundtables in September to focus talks on Boston.
“We’ll make sure as the national conversation is happening, we’ll localize the conversation,” Sullivan said. “In this moment it is critically important that we not only have conversations about racial justice issues, but that we are coming together to identify solutions.”
Curry said the virtual convention will have a Boston hook.
“Let’s make this conversation specific to the commonwealth and our city,” Curry said.
This comes after two months of protests over racial inequities, particularly in policing, following several high-profile police killings of Black people. Protests continue around the country, though the daily demonstrations that characterized June have quieted down in Boston. But advocates continue to push for changes; there are policing reform bills making their way through the Legislature and proposals in Boston to make changes including adding a civilian review board and to move some emergency responses away from the cops.
Curry ticked off a range of issues, from the protests around policing to the disparities in health and wealth between minority and white Bostonians.
“I hope that people can still connect the dots to what people still need to do in Boston,” he said.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3jVJCyD
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