MARY GLASS SUSPENSION RESPONSE
OPEN – NAACP RESPONSE LETTER – EMAILED
MONDAY, November 15, 2010
To: Ben Jealous, President/CEO- Staff
Cc: Roslyn Brock, Chairwoman - Board
Leon Russell, Vice Chairman - Board
Jesse Turner, Jr. Secretary - Board
NAACP/National Association of the Advancement of Colored People
From: MARY GLASS, Chair/CEO
Milwaukee Professionals Association [MPA]
Suspended NAACP Member – Notification, November 12, 2010
2010 Nominating Committee Secretary – NAACP Milwaukee Branch
Re: NAACP Membership Suspension
MEMBERSHIP – 83 Days, August 10, 2010 – November 1, 2010
Greetings Mr. Jealous, Ms. Brock, Mr. Russell and Mr. Turner, Jr.!
his is the first response to the Membership Suspension of Mary Glass,
Unit 3254, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The assertions made by your office
begs for due process, clarity, truth-telling and corrections in court (s).
Since I take civil rights, human rights and the brand of the NAACP as part of
my historic, professional and moral fingerprint, DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid
makeup; I will seek justice on the merits in both the court of law and the
court of public opinion – NAACP members and non-members.
It is important to note that my concerns regarding what you have done in your
misguided leadership and vindictive “Suspension Spree” is a WE, Not ME
issue. Therefore, ALL HANDS on Deck.
Too many have toiled, been abused and died for the NAACP’s name to be
wedded with human and civil rights. Therefore, your wrongdoing is not just
an affect on a staff member or board member for the NAACP, it is about the
African American race and the impact/message your wrongdoing is doing
to the social justice movement and our legacy.
Your misuse of power and desecration of the brand of the NAACP must stop..
We, members or not, must get the NAACP house in order. You are out-of-
Control – gone berserk, Hog Wild.
My office has launched, Operation: Reboot to jumpstart the process.
· LACK “MEMBERSHIP” PACKET – Roles & Responsibility
· National and Local Usurp Bylaws and Constitution
· Unauthorized Takeover and Suspension, Appearance of Extortion
Secondly, your letter was dated November 1, 2010. It was postmarked (mailed November 8, 2010 and received at my post office on November 12, 2010). The address on the envelope and in the Inside POB Address of the letter is incorrect - POB 510. This is not the address shared at sign-up.
Was this another example of inefficiency or willful error? At any rate, my $30.00 membership concluded in 83 days.
Thirdly, I tendered $30.00 to Mrs. Marcela Riley, Milwaukee Branch Manager, for Membership on August 10, 2010 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, NAACP Branch/Unit 3254. She told me I was a Member as of the payment and that National, the office each of you represents, would provide further information.
At the bottom of my Membership Receipt – on the Meeting Information line, Ms. Riley provided the following handwritten information:
Every 3rd Sat. 12:Noon – Lower Level. (see Exhibit A). The meetings have not occurred.
As of the day of receiving the notice of Suspension, Friday, November 12, 2010, the only orientation-training-roles and responsibilities information I have received was the August 21, 2010, Manual on Branch Election Procedures, Revised 6/11/2010.
Unfortunately, your office in conjunction with President Jerry Hamilton aborted/usurp the NAACP Bylaws of the 2010 Nominating and Supervisory Committee by an “un-authorized and un-asked-for” TAKE OVER of the Election process. This is considered reprehensible behavior.
You also demanded payment for conducting the election – the appearance of extortion since the Membership did not ask for or authorize your visit. Further, you have launched a suspicious and vindictive “Suspension Spree” with trumped-up causes.
I have not received a “Membership” packet from:
you-Mr. Jealous you-Ms. Brock or the cast of carbon copy names on the Suspension o Mr. Roger Vann - Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff
o Rev. Gill Ford - National Director of Unit Capacity
o Mr. Ernest Johnson - Chair, Memberships and Units Committee
o Mr. Thomas White - President WI State Conference
o President Jerry Ann Hamilton - Milwaukee Branch
o Ms. Laura D. Blackburne - Interim General Counsel
o Ms. Andrea Brown - National Director of Membership
o Rev. Charles L. White - National Field Director
o Rev. Jerome L. Reide, - Field Organizer, Regions III & IIII
o NAACP - Board
o Mrs. Marcella Riley - Office Manager – Milwaukee Branch or anyone representing the local, state, region or national office of the NAACP.
· LACK OF COMMUNICATIONS – Election, Clarity and Consistency
· LACK OF UP-TO-DATE MEMBERSHIP LIST – National and Local
· LACK “MEMBERSHIP” PACKET – Roles & Responsibility
Fourthly, unlike you-Mr. Jealous and Ms. Brock, as well as others on the previous list and not on the list, I have contacted you several times through emails and telephone calls. All of which have been met with “NO RESPONSE”.
Where is the “Civility” priority that you mention to Anderson Cooper, CNN – Tea Party Report?
If you-Mr. Jealous, Ms. Brock, and Interim Counsel Blackburne had honored best practices and customer care as part of principled-leadership at the National office, we most likely would not be at this state. Attached is one of the first emails to you-Mr. Jealous and Ms. Brock dated August 26, 2010 – No Response. Interestingly enough, I heard from ystafford@naacpnet.org this morning, November 15, 2010, with a copy of the Suspension: FYI – PLEASE SEE ATTACHED.
I have contacted Mrs. Riley in the local office twice regarding NOT RECEIVING correspondence – once after word-of-mouth information about a “national takeover”. I never received the correspondence. Recently, I called Ms. Riley and asked about the 3 x “ON-OFF” location of where the Election would be held in Milwaukee.
On Saturday, November 13, 2010, I was informed that information had been sent to some members regarding who was to represent National in the “takeover”. I never got the information.
I am not the only one that has not received correspondence. My research reveals a breakdown and lack of communication to the Membership by both National and the local level. How can we have an “honest” election?
Members have also had mailings to be received with nothing-in-them (empty envelopes). At the national level, we have not received Membership listings requested. Some folk will arrive Saturday for Validation and have problems voting. It is rumored that this is another one of the tactics that National and the local branch engages in to disrupt the process or DILUTE the vote.
My office received word this Saturday, November 13, 2010, there were Milwaukeeans that have paid their fee for Membership; but have not been responded to and they do not know if they can vote on Saturday, November 20, 2010; i.e., Congresswoman Gwen Moore.
Fifthly, since your Suspension alleges, “when an individual becomes a member of the NAACP, that individual pledges to abide by the rules and policies of the Association and the decisions of the Board of Directors”, who’s responsibility at National, regional, state or local was it to provide me with the oath, pledge, “rules and policies” of the Association you mention?
Was it yours-Mr. Jealous, Ms. Brock, Mr. Roger Vann, Rev. Gil Ford, the national membership representatives, President Jerry Ann Hamilton, Ms. Marcela Riley, others on your carbon copy of the Suspension? Who DROPPED THE BALL? Who is accountable here?
· MISREPRESENTATION OF TRUTH
· UNINVITED AND UNAUTHORIZED BY MEMBERSHIP
· SABOTAGE OF 2010 NOMINATING COMMITTEE with Cloak and Dagger methods
Sixthly, I and six other members in good standing were elected to the 2010 Nominating Committee on Saturday, September 18, 2010, in the parking lot of Stella’s, 2740 N. Martin L. King Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53212 according to the 2010 Election Manual.
Since the election, President Jerry Hamilton with the support of Mr. Tom White – State Rep., Mr. Roger Vann and Rev. Gill Ford representing the National office have been the point persons to engage in misuse of power, deception, misrepresentation of the truth, failure to communicate with “transparency” to the Milwaukee Branch Membership, failure to provide assistance for grievance resolution, have provided an appearance of conflict of interest, arbitrary and capricious decision making and because of their previous “unfavorable” visit (that included bullying and name-calling of the members); they are viewed at best, “deceptive and bias”.
The efforts of “vote diluting” and “disenfranchisement” that is seen by Hamilton-White-Vann-Ford, and others, are aptly put by President Hamilton in a Milwaukee City Hall Rotunda protest rally on November 3, 2009, on to Stop the Takeover of Milwaukee Public Schools (per Wisconsin Eye).
“Thanks to all of you, and we are here for the long haul. Are we not?
The NAACP has a long history of fighting voter disenfranchisement, vote dilution can take many forms, politicians may directly eliminate a citizen’s right to vote, or as attempted here, politicians may leave intact the right to vote but undermined the effectiveness of a citizen voting power by curtailing the
power of an elected body.
In the end, even the most simple-minded realize that the effect is the same.
The voice of the voter is mooted",
President Jerry Ann Hamilton, November 3, 2009.
Glass Truism
The tactic used by National and President Hamilton is to “eliminate through SUSPENSION the right to vote” and “undermine the effectiveness of a Milwaukee Membership by curtailing the power of an elected body through National’s takeover”.
You have compressed the process and TIME, change the timeframe, provided no assurances, failed to honor desires, voted procedures and privileges of the members, disallowed protections for an honest election, Bogart-bully, discriminate, change locations back-in-forth for confusion, and have not informed ALL the good standing members. This is the SHAM. This is a DISGRACE. This must stop NOW.
National NAACP suspends Milwaukee branch elections
It will step in to supervise the selection of the organization's new president
Oct. 4, 2010
In a letter to members of the executive committee, President Jerry Ann Hamilton said that she's been asked to notify the membership that "the national is intervening and that the October and November meetings previously scheduled have been cancelled."
What happen to the “paid” Membership asking for and authorizing “visitors/National” to the Milwaukee Branch? We did not ask nor have we VOTED for your visit.
Hamilton said Monday she had received a letter from Roger C. Vann, chief operating officer of the national NAACP, suspending the election. She would not release the letter.
Since we live in America, the NAACP is a civil and human rights organization, taking money for membership; where in the Bylaws do we find “specifics” for TAKE OVER of Election meetings that meet reasonableness here? The Bylaws and Constitution need updating.
The Rev. Gil Ford, the national director who oversees branches across the country, confirmed that the national office is stepping in to run the local election. He said the request to intervene came "from several members of the branch," but would not say if Hamilton was among them. Hamilton said she was not.
Who are the members that asked for the Take-over? What was the formal documentation of the Request? What vote was taken with the Membership?
Harris (Wendell Harris) said he believes that the national organization did the right thing under the circumstances and that he does not consider the nominating committee elected in the parking lot to be official.
As far as I'm concerned what was done was totally out of order," he said.
Was Mr. Harris referring to his behavior as well as President Hamilton and Attorney Hamilton over the top “take-over” and “aborting” the September 18, 2010 meeting?
You decide.
Under what circumstances is Mr. Harris referring?
His ON/OFF withdrawal and berserk YOU Tube performance due to his interaction with Attorney Hamilton that included cap butting. “The craziness” that he referred to had to do with his disagreement with Attorney Henry Hamilton and their actions that day.
Click on the video below. This is a snapshot of Wendell and the Hamilton’s imploding.
This is after Attorney Henry Hamilton “snatches” the ballots and leave.
On the board behind Mr. Harris are the names of names of the Nominating Committee. We were in in the process of ELECTING THE committee.
My historic memory of doctrines and major decisions of African Americans, Caucasians and well-wishers of the NAACP as well as the civil rights movement were often “on-the-run” due to segregation, unfair laws and discriminatory practices. Therefore, we conducted meetings on the bridges, while fishing, in the barn, in the corn field, in the cotton patches, picking peas, on the watermelon and strawberry trucks, in the church, in the bathroom, in jail, walking down the road, on the porch, in the basement, in jail, at the picnic, in court, in bombed out churches and houses and on and on. Therefore, under the circumstances:
previous election improprieties by President Jerry Hamilton. orchestrated mayhem by President Jerry Hamilton and cast of characters. President Jerry Hamilton requesting the Executive Committee to endorse Candidate Wendell Harris for President, to authorize her announcement of Wendell Harris, 1st Vice President, at the Freedom Fund Dinner as endorsed by the Branch. Attorney Henry Hamilton refusal to give sign-in list to 4 members that protested her request. Attorney Henry Hamilton snatching the “2010 Nominating Ballots”. Asking Captain Gregory Moore, Milwaukee Police Department, to oversee interrupted Membership meeting during her Impromptu-Called Executive Meeting - instead of officers, the 1st Vice and 2nd Vice President that were in the room; the members present would have been derelict if they had not gone “somewhere” and elected the 2010 Nominating Committee.
It just so happen, we went directly across the street to Stella’s concrete Parking Lot on September 18, 2010 by 50 plus members that were wrongful evicted was Amen. It reminded me of the peaceful and non-violent protest leadership that helped to make the NAACP brand.
The September 18, 2010 Meeting was meant to be adjourned due to disorder. It backfired in President Jerry Hamilton’s face. The Milwaukee Membership present, were like our people of old; they would not allow the “devil” in the details.
We remained calm. We were baffled by the level President Hamilton, 1st Vice President Wendell Harris, Mrs. Hamilton’s son and daughter, enabling Executive Committee members and a few others participated in the mayhem. In fact, it was stated later that after the trumped up” Executive Meeting, while the Membership was being held hostage per President Hamilton’s order to Captain Moore of the Milwaukee Police Department and others; that what we did, would not matter, National was going to take over the Election.
President Jerry Ann Hamilton and family disgraceful representation in Milwaukee and recent over-the-top behavior on September 18, 2010 has been aided and abetted by the entire national leadership. If you did not know, you should have. If you knew and did not act you should be held accountable; i.e., removed.
Therefore, we must go outside and gain our rights and restore the brand so many died for. President Hamilton counted on you, you did not let her down; but, you have let your position and the organization down. You have caused irrevocable stain that will be exposed and each of you must be called into question with a repudiation of the court of law.
By the way, your pattern of bullying, misuse-of-power, usurping the NAACP Bylaws, Constitution, QUESTIONABLE Freedom Fund Dinner corporate sponsorships and guarantees for annual conventions are making there way to the foreground.
This is the same thing that I heard this past week coming from Houma, LA where You-National-Ben Jealous, President, suspended Mr. Richard Thompson, candidate for President against your choice Mr. Jerome Boykin. So, by suspending Mr. Thompson for announcing his candidacy, you guaranteed Mr. Boykin the presidency, by default.
Boy that sounds so much like what went on during the 60’s. The culprits then were southern Caucasians that put on white sheets at night and by day ran the towns and cities. They also subscribed to segregation and white supremacy. What is the NAACP subscribing to? |
President Jealous and Chairwoman Brock, you are too young to remember the days of ole by experience; however, you can read/look at the NAACP website and other places for the history. For Mrs. Myrlie Evers-Williams, NAACP Board member, and others on the board, you are old enough to remember the following:
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
By not having the power of the ballot, African Americans in the South had little influence in their communities. They did not hold elected offices. They had no say in how much their taxes would be or what laws would be passed. They had little, if any, control over local police, courts, or public schools. They, in effect, were denied their rights as citizens.
Attempts to change this situation were met with animosity and outright violence. But in the 1950s, the civil rights movement developed. Facing enormous hostility, black people in the South organized to demand their rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. They launched voter registration drives in many Southern communities.
In the early 1960s, black and white protesters, called Freedom Riders, came from the North to join in demonstrations throughout the South. In some places, crowds attacked them while white police officers looked on.
Medgar Evers, the black veteran stopped by a white mob from voting, became a civil rights leader in his native Mississippi. Because of his civil rights activities, he was shot and killed in front of his home by a white segregationist in 1963.
We must let the world know of this type of “undermining” and “dirty work” by National, regional, state and local NAACP leaders - A dangerous game of SNOOKERING.
Mary Glass Suspension
So, to be suspended with “trumped-up” and “disgraceful” charges that desecrate the civil and human rights brand fought for so long with blood, sweat, tears, dreams deferred and death, I call upon attorneys, judges, ACLU, National Action Network, Congressional Black Caucus, NAACP members, the National Urban League, Rainbow Coalition, national sororities, fraternities, lodge members, leaders of the neighborhoods, scholars, parents, students, business organizations, corporate sponsors, news outlets, bloggers, the immediate world and the People’s Court to stop your madness.
With Recovery in Mind,
_________________________
Mary Glass – Chair/CEO/Founder
www.2010nominatingcommittee.blogspot.com
414.610.1044
