President’s Remarks

State Conference President Yvonne M. White

Welcome to the website of the NAACP Michigan State Conference. We are a volunteer based organization. The recruitment and retention of volunteers is critical to the viability of the NAACP. Volunteers serve as an indispensable bridge between our organization and the general public and the presence of a volunteer base contributes to the success of this Association.

At the very heart of our freedom is the right to vote. Voting is more than simply going to the polling place on Election Day. Voting is exercising our individual and collective voices within our democratic systems of government.

The path to justice requires that we challenge Federal, state and local laws, statues, and policies to ensure access to the ballot box and equal protection.

With more than a century after the right to vote was declared fundamental, that right is now under attack. Efforts to make it harder for racial minorities and others to participate in the political process are increasing all across the country - and we're fighting those efforts in court.

We are all responsible for helping to ensure that every eligible voter in Michigan can have their vote counted without any intimidation, interference or harassment. This is so important for the moment we find ourselves in, both as a nation and as a state. Michigan voters should and must be a given a choice in how to shape our democracy.

Voting presents the optimum opportunity to ensure that the best interest of our communities are represented on courtroom benches, school boards, city councils, county commissions, state legislatures, and in Congress, by representatives who share our community’s values and beliefs, and who will be accountable to the people.

We must also be engaged as stakeholders and policymakers, and not just bystanders in this democracy. And, we must continue our vigilant work in protecting voting rights for not just our own sake, but for the sake of our children and for the sake of the next generation to come.

The NAACP continues to stand ready and willing to protect voting rights and student rights at all levels of government, and we encourage everyone who believes in “Freedom and Justice for All” to get involved and to “Stand Up” and be a voice in your community and/or your school.

It is our hope you will consider joining us in the continuous fight for social justice and equality. Please click here to see the many volunteer opportunities available or contact your local NAACP unit for additional information. Help us mobilize voters in Michigan, for our lives may very well depend on it. #ThrivingTogether!

Peace and power,

Yvonne M. White, President of NAACP Michigan State Conference and Assistant Treasurer of NAACP National Board of Directors

Youth & College Division President

Please stay tuned for remarks from MI Youth & College Division President Jordan Bell at the end of the year.