Standing Committees
Communications, Press, Publicity, and Technology
The Committee on Communications, Press, Publicity, and Technology shall (1) seek to promote media content consistent with fundamental NAACP goals, which include the elimination of racial isolation and fear and the furtherance of multiracial and cultural understanding; (2) work to eliminate employment segregation and discrimination in those industries, comprising the communications, arts, and sciences (radio, telephone, television, motion pictures, newspapers, books, related computer communications, business, and cable television); (3) seek to ensure Black minority ownership and control of print, electronic media, and technology enterprises—both hardware and software; (4) monitor local and national media, especially advertising performance; (5) provide the National Office with research and data on those local businesses engaged in communications, arts, sciences, and technology; (6) seek to ensure that all people have a meaningful right to choose from and have access to a variety of high-quality telecommunications goods and services at reasonable cost; (7) work to ensure that various current and newly advanced technologies are used in a manner that promotes truth, avoids inherent programming biases, and provides education on the positive and negative attributes of a constantly changing technology environment; (8) embrace technology as a key social determinant of health and for positively advocating and educating at the grassroots level; and (9) monitor social media and other outlets for appropriate branding, marketing, and proprietary use.
Criminal Justice
The Committee on Criminal Justice shall (1) seek to eliminate harsh and unfair sentencing practices that are responsible for mass incarceration and racial disparities in the prison system; (2) support and seek to increase trust and public safety by advancing effective law enforcement practices; (3) fight for the restoration of the voting rights of formerly incarcerated people and the removal of barriers to employment; (4) elevate the voices of crime victim survivors in order to identify and advance systemic breakdowns existing in the criminal justice system that perpetuate crime; (5) resolve to end the war on drugs for its disproportionate collateral consequences and harm to communities of color; (6) seek the institution and availability of alternatives to incarceration, including education, employment, and mental health services; (7) eliminate zero-tolerance policies implemented in our schools which keep kids out of the classroom and put them on a path from the schoolhouse to the jailhouse; (8) investigate programs implemented in our local law enforcement agencies which derail from their main purpose of safety and order to conduct the work of federal agencies for which they do not have the capacity; and (9) seek budget modifications in states where incarceration receives more funding than education.
Economic Development
The Committee on Economic Development shall implement local efforts and support national programs to preserve and expand economic empowerment among African Americans and other communities of color by (1) researching and establishing relationships with private and public entities; (2) supporting the work of the National Office in monitoring the progress and activity of private and public entities designated by national programs; (3) implementing local efforts to promote the growth of business ownership; (4) increasing employment and job creation; and (5) encouraging business development and home ownership.
Education
The Committee on Education shall (1) seek to eliminate segregation and other discriminatory practices in public education; (2) study local educational conditions affecting minority groups; (3) investigate the public school system and school zoning; (4) familiarize itself with textbook material that is racially derogatory; (5) seek to stimulate school attendance; (6) keep informed of school conditions and strive to correct abuses where found; (7) investigate the effects of standardized and high-stakes testing practices; (8) teacher certification; (9) promote parental involvement in education; and (10) aim to be a center of popular education on the race question and on the work of the Association.
Freedom Fund
The Freedom Fund Committee shall plan and conduct fundraising activities, entertainment, and other projects for local and national purposes within the scope of the Association’s program. It shall work closely with the Finance Committee.
Health
The Health Committee shall (1) work to promote, protect, and maintain the health of African Americans; (2) assess the health needs of the community; (3) advocate for equal access to health education, care, treatment, and research for all Americans; (4) sponsor health-related activities such as health forums, fairs, and workshops highlighting issues of importance to people of color; and (5) support health initiatives of the Association.
Housing
The Committee on Housing shall (1) study housing conditions in the local community; (2) receive and seek to address complaints of discrimination; (3) oppose all restrictive practices, whether public or private; and (4) disseminate information and render such other assistance which may eliminate discrimination in housing.
Legal Redress
The Legal Redress Committee shall (1) investigate all cases reported to it; (2) supervise all litigation in which the Unit is interested; and (3) keep the National Office and the Branch informed on the progress of every case. It shall not give general legal advice.
Membership
The Membership Committee shall (1) work throughout the year to maintain and increase the membership of the Association; (2) be responsible for planning and organizing the annual membership campaign; (3) be responsible on a continuous basis for soliciting new members and for securing renewals; and (4) initiate all possible means to obtain Life Members and sponsor a continuing program toward this end.
Political Action
The Political Action Committee shall (1) seek to increase registration and voting; (2) work for the enactment of municipal, state, and federal legislation designed to improve the educational, political, and economic status of minority groups; (3) seek the repeal of racially discriminatory legislation; (4) work to improve the administration of justice; (5) work to secure equal enforcement of the law; and (6) keep the National Office and the Unit informed of all proposed legislation which affects minority groups. The Committee shall be nonpartisan and shall not endorse candidates for public office.
Religious Affairs
The Religious Affairs Committee shall include ministerial and lay religious leaders who are members of the Unit. It shall (1) promote an educational program designed to give moral and ethical interpretation to the civil rights struggle; (2) interpret the work of the Association to organized religious groups of all faiths; (3) enlist the support of such organized religious groups for membership, fundraising, and the struggle for equality and full civil rights; and (4) provide resource assistance for religious education and social action activities associated with the improvement of race relations.
Youth Works
The Committee on Youth Work for State/State-Area Conferences shall consist of all Youth Unit Advisors and Youth Unit Presidents in the state, and five (5) persons appointed by the State/State-Area Conference President. The Committee on Youth Work for Branches shall consist of the Youth Unit Advisor(s) and Youth Unit President(s) in the same community, and five (5) persons appointed by the Branch President. The Youth Unit Advisors and the Youth Unit Presidents shall choose the chair of the Committee. The Youth Work Committee shall develop and coordinate the programs of the Branch(es) and Youth Units.