ZANESVILLE − The Muskingum County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has been reactivated, according to an announcement from the NAACP.
The local branch has lost members over the years and became inactive.
A planning committee of 12 residents put together a Brunch for Justice in March in to share information and recruit new members. “Once we show proof of the 50 active members, then the (state chapter) will create a letter of recommendation to the national headquarters for our charter then to be re-established,” committee member Nancy Edwards previously told the TR.
The local branch was reactivated on May 17 and elected new officers. They are Kyle Johnson, president; Justin Wyatt, vice president, Johnna Ray, second vice president; Nancy Edwards, secretary; Michelle Simpson, assistance secretary; Stacey Duling, treasurer; and Latonya Sowers, assistant treasurer. They were sworn in by Derrick Forward, vice president of the Ohio Conference NAACP and president of the Dayton branch.
“This chapter belongs to the people. That’s the truth at the heart of the Muskingum County NAACP’s legacy and the guiding light for our future,” Johnson said in the announcement. “I step into this role with deep respect for those who came before me…Leaders like Claude Haywood, Helen Russell, and Rev. C.W. Morse built the foundation we now stand on.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Now reactivated, Muskingum County branch of NAACP elects officers
Reporting by Staff Reports / Zanesville Times Recorder
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