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The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, March 30, 2011-3 SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS NAACP Celebrates 75th Anniversary of Youth & College Division Reflections of the Times: The 1961 Freedom Rides Roslyn Brock, NAACP Board Chairman The NAACP is celebrat ing the 75th anniversary of its Youth & College Division, created in 1936. According to its mission statement, the divi sion aims to inform youth of the problems affecting African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities, to advance the status of the African American communi ty, to stimulate appreciation of the African Diaspora and other people of color’s contri bution to society, and to develop intelligent and mili tant youth leadership. “The Youth & College Division helped me develop as a leader and as an activist,” stated NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock, a former youth member. “Over five hundred members of the Youth and College Division have served on our National Board of Directors since the inception of youth designated positions in 1963.” “The Youth & College Division is important not only because it educates and trains young leaders, but also because of the notable accomplishments of its mem bers,” stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous, another former member of the division. “The division has seen a renewed spirit of leadership and activism in recent years, evi dent in the powerful civic engagement efforts like the Upload 2 Uplift and Vote Hard campaigns as well as mobilization efforts led by young people within the Association.” The division today is composed of more more than 25,000 young people under the age of 25. They represent 600 youth coun cils, high school chapters and college chapters, mak ing the division one of the largest organized groups of young people of any secular organization in the country. From March through December, the Youth & College Division will cele brate their 75th anniversary with local coordinated activ ities around the country, and will host a national youth town hall meeting during the NAACP National Convention in Los Angeles. Additionally, later this year the division will launch a new social networking proj ect as the NAACP continues to engage young people in 21st century technology ini tiatives. “Young people are the fastest growing demograph ic in the NAACP,” stated Stefanie Brown, National Field Director & Director of the Youth and College Division. “They are often the ones on the front lines, Honorees continued from page 1 on Savannah’s City Council, serving from 1974 through 1991, and served as Mayor Pro Tem in 1991. Tony Matthews Yellow Dog Democrat Award 2011 Award Honoree- Alfreda J. Goldwire-Currently President of the Savannah Federation of Teachers/Paraprofessional s and School Related Personnel (SFT/PRSP), Alfreda also was named Labor Leader of the Year by the Georgia AFL/CIO. Under Alfreda’s leader ship, SFT/PSRP has grown from 600 members in 1999 to over 2,000. “Our dinner having been named after a long time leader of Savannah’s Irish Catholic community, the CCDC is particularly excited to announce our 2011 Toby Buttimer Dinner award honorees this week,” said CCDC Chair Tony Center. The Toby Buttimer Awards dinner is the CCDC’s major annual fundraiser and get togeth er. The dinner first began in 1987 and annually hon ors three local Democrats for their achievements and support. The dinner will be held in late August or early September with a speaker of national promi nence. For more informa tion contact Tony Center 912-233-9696 TonyCenter@comcast.net or Dinner Chair Jolene Byrne, 912-227-0159, rjobyrne@comcast.net. using their energy and enthu siasm to bring attention to important issues and effect positive changes in their communities. The steady stream of new voices in that cycle in every year ensures that the division remains a dynamic and enduring force in the NAACP.” Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organ ization. Its members through out the United States and the world are the premier advo cates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and moni toring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors. A panel discussion, "Reflections of the Times: The 1961 Freedom Rides" will be held Tuesday, April 12, 4 p.m. at the Southwest Chatham Library, 925- 8305. The Freedom Riders of 1961 had a simple but dar ing plan: to board buses in small interracial groups to test and challenge segre gated facilities in the South. They endured savage beatings, humiliation, and imprisonment, but ulti mately their brave actions and commitment to nonvi olence changed America forever. Join our panel in a reflec tion of the times that will enrich your exhibit experi ence and put a historical perspective, not only on the history of the civil rights movement, but also the history of the United States of America. Ms. Linda Bulloch, a retired educator and jour nalist whose family mem bers were among white Southerners involved in the Civil Rights Movement of the Fifties and Sixties will be a speaker. The author of two books, she works part-time at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Dr. Emogene Middleton, a retired public school educator who served as the first secretary for Rev. Hosea Williams and Savannah Chatham County Crusade for Voters in the early 1960's will also participate, along with Dr. J.W. Jamerson III, a local Savannah dentist and current Chairman of Ralph Mark Gilbert Georgia's Official Civil Rights Museum here in Savannah. This promises to be an enlightening and enriching discussion for all! This is the third install ment in the Freedom Riders series, proceeded by a traveling exhibit, and a special lecture on “The Political Meaning of the Freedom Riders.” Saving money. So easy you can do it in your...well you know. Savings Solutions. The only thing better than saving money it saving without ever thinking about it. 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