NAACP state convention brings civil rights, community and voter engagement into focus in Evansville

From workshops on education and health care to a march encouraging residents to vote, the NAACP State Convention brought members and leaders from across Indiana to Evansville for a weekend of learning, fellowship and civic engagement Friday Oct 23-Sun Oct 25. 

The gathering included a Soul Food Dinner featuring keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Larry Rascoe, workshops, a Women in the NAACP (WIN) breakfast featuring Mayor Stephanie Terry as keynote speaker, and the Freedom Banquet. Participants also joined a March to the Polls from the C.K. Newsome Center to the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library’s Central Library.

Sessions addressed education, health care, environmental justice and voting, reflecting the range of issues connected to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s civil rights mission.

For the Evansville branch, hosting the convention offered an opportunity for residents to connect with the organization beyond its local activities.  “It gives, I think, local people an opportunity to see the breadth of the organization across Indiana,” said Ed Lander, NAACP EVV 304B president. 

Sadie B. Harper-Scott, president of the Indiana NAACP State Conference, described NAACP as an organization whose work includes addressing discrimination in schools, employment, health care and the justice system.

Local branches provide a point of contact for residents seeking assistance, while state and national leadership offer additional connections and support. Harper-Scott emphasized that the organization welcomes people of different racial backgrounds and that residents do not have to be members to seek assistance.

In Evansville, the Landers identified voting, education and concerns about sentencing disparities among the branch’s priorities. Residents can submit complaints for review through its Legal Redress Committee, he said. The branch then determines whether the issue falls within its scope and what assistance it may provide. “Anything that has to do with taking away someone’s civil rights, we’re there,” added Landers.

Voter engagement was a visible part of the convention weekend, including a March to the Polls. Annette Ussery, political action president for Evansville NAACP, said local efforts included three postcard-writing activities that sent nearly 4,000 postcards.

The outreach included people who had voted in a presidential election but not in 2022, as well as young adults who may not have voted before. The branch also worked with the Get Out the Vote Coalition on transportation and coordinated marches alongside other community partners. “Our main goal is to get out the vote, get people to the polls, help them understand the importance of voting and that their voice matters,” Ussery said.

College students from Purdue University’s NAACP campus chapter were among those attending the convention. The chapter describes its mission as connecting people across campus, highlighting social injustices and encouraging members to make a difference in their community.

Harper-Scott said more than 75 young people attended the convention and Landers described efforts to establish a local youth chapter by the end of the year. That work includes outreach involving students at the University of Southern Indiana, the University of Evansville and local high schools.

Leaders emphasized that the organization’s future depends on participation, including younger members willing to take an active role. “We don’t want you to just join and say, ‘I’ve got a card,’” said Landers. “We want people to join and be actively involved.”

Check out photos from the weekend for more highlights from the NAACP State Convention in Evansville.