The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
James Bailey Jr. is unabashed in proclaiming himself as the next president of the NAACP's Virginia Beach chapter.
"Anyone I talk to about the NAACP, I call myself the next president of that branch," the 45-year-old Bailey said. "I'm completely certain the majority of the membership will come in and vote for me."
But Carl Wright, NAACP chairman of the region that includes Virginia Beach, says not only is Bailey not the next president, he's not even on the ballot. Nor, Wright said, can he be.
"He's not qualified under the constitution," said Wright, who is vice president of the Virginia Beach chapter. "Everybody in the country tries to jump in bed with the NAACP, everybody who wants notoriety. The NAACP doesn't work like that."
Bailey contends he should be able to run against eight-year president Georgia Allen because NAACP election rules allow any member in good standing to run. Bailey said he's been trying to get on the ballot since February.
Bailey said he was told he cannot run because he is a felon, but Wright denies that's the reason. Bailey said he served five years in prison for helping to prepare false income tax returns.
Wright said Bailey can't run because he doesn't live or work in Virginia Beach.
Bailey lives in Chesapeake and says he started a janitorial service in Virginia Beach in order to run for the presidency there.
He has asked the national NAACP to decide if he meets the criteria.
"It's Virginia Beach that needs a leader," Bailey said. "I'm taking up the responsibility of cleaning up the Beach NAACP."
Bailey said the local chapter will not provide him with membership numbers. A list, provided to him by state NAACP officials, he said, shows 108 members of the Beach chapter, lower than other Hampton Roads cities, all smaller than Virginia Beach. The Hampton chapter has 630 members; Norfolk, 471; Portsmouth, 317; Suffolk, 320; Chesapeake, 232; and Newport News, 202. The state NAACP would not release the numbers.
Sandra Smith-Jones, who is a member of the Beach's elected School Board and former president of the NAACP's Beach chapter, said the black community is wary of the chapter.
"People can't get answers, so they walk away," she said.
She said no one will tell her who is chairing the Beach's nominating committee.
"The whole organization needs to be audited - the membership, the treasurer's reports, " Smith-Jones said. "... The state needs to come in and say, 'Show me the information.' "
Bailey said he's asked the state and national organization to monitor the Dec. 8 election.
King Salim Khalfani, executive director of the Virginia State Conference NAACP, downplayed the contentiousness in Virginia Beach.
"We come to expect it every two years," he said. "You'd think some of these positions are paid.... People pay to be volunteers to go through this kind of stuff."
Bailey said he aims to have at least 75 NAACP members supporting him on Dec. 8 - writing in his name, if need be. Some supporters will be new NAACP members, he said.
Which presents another hurdle: Participants in the vote must be members for at least 30 days before the election.
John Warren, (757) 222-5114, john.warren@pilotonline.com
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racism
For those who do not know the proper definition of racism it states in Webster, "racism is the political, economic, and social control over another ethnic group of people, by people who feel they are superior". Black people can never practice racism because they have no power over the three elements that define racism over another ethnic group of people. Racism is always associated with 'white supremacy' that is highly visible in the City of Virginia Beach. From the courts to the businesses, white supremacy rules Viirginia Beach regardless of having a person of color allegedly as the highest elected official in the city. On a recent trip to visit my daughter in Virginia Beach, I personally witnessed the Virginia Beach police stopping at least twenty vehicles with Black person driving , while 'white' persons living in the same housing complex were openly using alcohol and drinking in public. If there are double standards then there will always be inequality
Good response, you took the words out of my mouth!
What Lamaar fails to realize is that kind of attitude further fuels racism, BOTH ways.
lamarr49480
lamarr49480 said, "The riots that place took at the Black Greekfest in the late 1980's when Black college students were discriminated against showed the racist nature of the City of Virginia Beach."
I think I get it, now. If black people riot and loot stores, it's white peoples' fault. So, conversely, if white people rob stores, it's black peoples' fault. Makes sense to me!
I'm still slightly confused, though. If I break into a store tonight and steal stuff, is it the Asians' fault, or did Puerto Ricans make me do it?
What a joke
Mr Bailey...Why would you want to be associated with This group..Everyone knows NAACP is a big Sellout anyway.
They let Bruce Williams be the Economic Director and pass out flyers and awards for personal gain..... Yet won't give this guy a shot....
Find another group this one is a washed up sellout that does nothing for the advancement of black people......You should consider yourself blessed and move on they obviously only allow people like Bruce Williams who handed out the fliers be on the board....LOL
Time to close....
the NAACP down, it's a racist organization that is as bad as the KKK. Could you imagine in this day and age, an organization called "National Association for the Advancement of White People" and not consider this organization racist, remember, it's a two way street.
This Statement..
" For the idiots of the 'white supremacist mindset' that continue to bash African-American president-elect Barack Obama you have to wait for four more years for a change duumy."
This statement would have had a much greater impact if the author spelled dummy correctly.
Every organization...
Every organization needs to have a felon in charge. The Norfolk Criminal Justice system, Va Beach NAACP, Executive Branch of the federal government (although not caught), etc. I think it elicits a great perspective on society when "certain" law breakers are suddenly redeemed and placed in executive positions of government or lobby organizations. I think that a felonious act should be a required check mark on all future employment opportunities. It appears to be so far in some peoples eyes and we wonder why young people think being a thug is cool.
Mr. Bailey would bring some fresh air
The NAACP should take up a new mission and fresh goals of education reform, domestic volience, and self-suffiency. As a former supporter of the NAACP I have grown weary of the "frozen in time" 1960 mentatlity of whining and trying to have the government work miricles, miricles start with the black church and voting. Move on into this century and focus on the top issues of all our people. The role of the NAACP could do more to help millions of undocumented workers for instance. The staleness of the NAACP is appalling, Mr. Bailey could be the fresh air this chapter needs. It appears the NAACP can change the rules anytime they care to keep fresh views of the table.
Baily's Leadership is Needed in VB
I think Mr. Baily would bring good and needed leadership to the VB NAACP. I wish him well in breaking into and making more effective an ingrown chapter of that organization. Community leadership that provides real representation plays a vital role in empowering otherwise overlooked segments of our society.
Dysfunctional NAACP
I commend Brother Bailey and of course I know the opposition he is faced with. The Virginia Beach Chapter of the NAACPO has been dysfunctional for a long period of time. The riots that place took at the Black Greekfest in the late 1980's when Black college students were discriminated against showed the racist nature of the City of Virginia Beach. The NAACP did not do anything significant to rectify the matter. For the idiots of the 'white supremacist mindset' that continue to bash African-American president-elect Barack Obama you have to wait for four more years for a change duumy. In reference to Brother Bailey, Brother has met the standards to be on the ballot, its just the in-house politics that do not want a radical voice. At times of peril there will always need to be radical voices. Brother Bailey brought out the elements of disenfranchisement that is afforded to Black residents of Virginia Beach which no NAACP president including Georgia Allen has been able to formally challenge. It is time that Black people understand who their oppressors are, identify their oppression, and organize themselves to fight it. Racial profiling in Virginia Beach is at an all time high and it is