JSU’s NAACP chapter received several awards during the 74th Annual Mississippi NAACP State Conference Nov. 7-9 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Additionally, Kijana Roberts, a junior at JSU and president of the HBCU’s NAACP chapter, was elected to serve as the second vice president of the Mississippi Youth and College Division of the NAACP.
“Ayana Jones, Miss JSU NAACP, stood up and nominated me. So, I thought ‘I’m in too deep now. I got to do it,’” said Roberts, a mass communications major who ran on the platform of unifying the NAACP’s college and university chapters.
“Tougaloo is right up the street and we don’t know anything about them (their chapter) or their events,” he explained. “I want us to promote each other and uplift each other and push each other all in the name of the NAACP.”
Six delegates from each attending school listened to the nominee’s present their platform during the conference. The delegates then cast their votes. Roberts was one of two nominees for the second vice president position.
“When I found out I won, I was excited. The first thing I did was call my mom,” said Roberts. “I was proud of myself and of our chapter. I wouldn’t have done it without the encouragement of my e-board. They really pushed me.”
Boasting well over 100 members, the JSU chapter also received the compliance award, a membership award and the Juanita Jackson Mitchell Award for community involvement. Mitchell was the first African American woman admitted to the Maryland bar. She was also a teacher and civil rights activist who served as NAACP president of the Baltimore City Branch. Mitchell chaired her branches’ legal redress committee and founded the NAACP’s Youth Program. She is also known as a fighter of discrimination in the courts and the community.
During the three-day event, members discussed and learned ways to boost NAACP’s reach and build engagement regarding public policies and local issues.
Founded in 1909, the NAACP serves as the country’s largest and most recognizable civil rights organization. Home to more than half-a-million members, the NAACP is a leader of grassroots campaigns for equal opportunity.