Following a year in which America embraced the Black Lives Matters movement and took to the streets against police brutality and racial injustice, Fleur McKendell is ready to continue the struggle.
McKendell was sworn in as president of the Central Delaware NAACP Branch on Dec. 15. She’ll officially step into her new role in January.
The Dover Post spoke with McKendell, of Camden, about her plan to improve social justice for Black Americans.
How does the NAACP plan to bring economic repair to the Black community?
The NAACP knows all too well the contribution that systemic racism has on the pervasive economic disparities that exist within Black and Brown communities. The Central Delaware NAACP Branch will help bring about economic repair by promoting and advocating for economic inclusion and demanding that state and local government officials address issues pertaining to housing, jobs and education in Black and Brown communities. We will also work to partner with civic-minded companies to increase minority employment and work to sponsor economic education events throughout local communities that will provide residents with useful information and resources.
What are your New Year’s resolutions?
My most pressing resolutions are to 1) Increase member mobilization and participation; and 2) Expand the Central Delaware NAACP Branch’s bandwidth as it relates to bringing about sustainable, transformative and restorative change throughout greater Kent County in the areas of educational equity, health equity, housing, economic justice, voter engagement and political representation, and public safety and criminal justice.
How do you plan to meet those goals?
By utilizing innovative and non-traditional approaches to recruit, engage and retain members, with an emphasis on youth and young adults. I plan to expand the Central Delaware NAACP Branch’s bandwidth as it relates to bringing about sustainable, transformative and restorative change through education, agitation, litigation, mobilization and voter participation.
As president, what will be your first order of business?
To unveil my strategic plan and then appoint chairwomen/chairmen for the key committees that will be responsible for overseeing the work necessary to meet the core objectives in my strategic plan.
How will you generate more interest in growing the NAACP?
By organizing grassroots campaigns and mobilizing member participation because none of what we do is possible without hands on deck and boots on the ground. Also, because youth and young adults are the now and the future, I plan to recruit, educate and train more of them to become next-gen leaders in this movement.
