| Notes | It is my honor to serve the Oakland Community as NAACP Oakland Branch President. The Oakland Branch of the NAACP is your voice to continue to address the inequalities in our community. As President, I continue the fight for equal justice for all. It is important that the political, educational, social and economic rights of all persons are acknowledged and respected. I have been an Attorney for many years handling various kinds of legal matters, including Civil Rights. I realize that my education has allowed me to be independent and achieve my life goals. I lived 23 years in government housing projects and experienced many incidents of discrimination. My goal is to make sure the civil disturbances of the sixties do not return to victimize our community. During my tenure as President, we have been successful in accomplishing the following: Stabilizing the Oakland Branch and developing positive relationships and open communication with the community. We have been actively involved in the Black College Expo where youth can receive immediate acceptance into a Historical Black College/University (HBCU). Collaborated with Oakland Mayor and School Superintendent's "Oakland Promise" which aims to triple the number of college graduates from Oakland within the next decade by ensuring every child in Oakland graduate high school with the expectations, resources, and skills to complete college and be successful in the career of his or her choice. This year, our branch has sent 30 high school students to college. Re-ignited our historical relationship with the faith-based community in addressing economic issues and safety. Efforts have been made to assist residents to find affordable housing and stay in Oakland. Partnership with Chapel of the Chimes, a subsidiary of NorthStar Memorial Group, to construct the Nelson Mandela Human Rights Memorial at Skylawn Memorial Park. The monument will be a platform for introspection, inspiration and education to advance Mandela's idea for social justice, democracy and peace. Gold and bronze winners of the NAACP Nationals Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) Youth Achievement Program designed to recruit, stimulate, and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students. We support police accountability by the creation of a police commission. I greatly appreciate your trust in my leadership and, most of all, the tremendous progress the Oakland Branch has made during my tenure as your President. With your continued support and diligence, we are prepared to do even more. 1) Economic Prosperity: As you know, Oakland is undergoing a tremendous economic upswing with enormous economic development taking place. Shortly, the entire Oak Knoll area of upper East Oakland will be developed where hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent developing that site. The NAACP will partner with other entities to ensure that African Americans are included in the economic benefits of not only this site, but the many other economic projects going on in our city. African American workers and businesses must be front and center in Oakland's economic prosperity. Our collective voices can make this happen! 2) Safety: For our senior citizens and our neighborhoods, safety is paramount to a meaningful quality of life. The NAACP will work with the City of Oakland as well as with various neighborhoods not only to ensure better police practices, but also to encourage neighborhoods to become more actively engaged in community enrichment and enhancement including keeping our neighborhoods clean of trash and debris and environmentally desirable as we fight for more and better housing. 3) Education: Our focus on education is making a clear difference for our youth. We will continue our focus on education which is preparing them to meet the challenges of a global economy and become productive citizens fully equipped to take advantage of the opportunities of the future and not fall prey to a criminal justice system that's often designed to entice them into that system. We know that there's still work to be done! I promise the Oakland Branch will be actively engaged in the above matters that directly impact all of us as we work together to make our community economically viable, safe and focused on preparing our young for the future." We've accomplished much and are prepared to do even more. Let's move forward together! George Holland, Sr. Esq. President, NAACP Oakland Branch |