In response to 'Trouble'

To the Editor [of the Register-Star]:

We would like to take this opportunity to clarify a few points in response to, "Trouble at local NAACP chapter" (Dec. 10).

The Columbia-Greene Branch of the NAACP was established 41 years ago. To our knowledge, participation by Greene County residents has always been encouraged, but the majority of members have come from Columbia County. At the present time, we welcome participation by all those who support our mission, and encourage those individuals to join us, regardless of which county they call home.

Despite our small number, the C-GNAACP was actively engaged in community outreach during the past year:

• Scholarships were awarded to 15 young Hudson women to travel to Albany for an evening with the renowned African American writer and scholar Maya Angelou.
• We co-sponsored Hudson's first annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial March.Members participated in Operation Unite's Hudson Black Arts and Cultural Festival and Parade.
• We went online. "The Hudson Journal" established a Web presence and online communications hub for the branch that includes local and national news, links and a community calendar.

The branch now meets on a monthly -- sometimes weekly -- basis, where we provide an informal open forum for discussion of various issues, such as education, social justice, job discrimination, etc. We are currently in the process of planning two major events -- a spring fundraiser/membership drive and a day-long community forum.

Building membership remains our first priority. The struggle for membership is not unique to our branch, it is a national concern, as well. The current challenge for all civil rights organizations is to find ways to engage individuals and maintain relevance in the community.

It is worth noting that while differences of opinion exist within most organizations those disagreements rarely become headline news. While we would not presume to tell a publisher and editor what is newsworthy, we find it disconcerting that a disgruntled individual motivated by malicious intent was so easily abetted by the Register-Star. The paper's failure to scrutinize the basic truthfulness of the statements made by that individual was irresponsible, and a simple point/counterpoint story does not neutralize the harm done to our organization. It is a great disappointment that given its role as the community's paper of record, the Register-Star takes so little care when vetting its stories.

Sincerely,

Alan Skerrett
President
Columbia-Greene NAACP
518.758.8132
naacp2008@gmail.com
Visit us on the Web at: http://columbiagreenenaacp.blogspot.com