Membership Meeting Agendas
NAACP Reno/Sparks Branch #1112
Phone: (775) 322-2992
P.O. Box 7757
Reno, NV 89510
Email: info@renosparksnaacp.org

Membership meeting of June 13, 2013

UPDATE: Nevada State Senate Finance Committee Chair Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, will address the general membership on June 13. The Assistant Majority Floor Leader, who now wields the uberpowerful money committee gavel long held by the late Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, will undoubtedly present an overview of the recently concluded 2013 legislative session.
Click here to read the agenda.

Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month
Rita Cannan Elementary School / Multi-purpose Room
2450 Cannan Street * Reno, NV 89512
Executive Committee 6:30 p.m. / General Membership 7:00 p.m.

Northern Nevada MLK Day 2013

Northern Nevada MLK Day 2012

Dr. King’s ‘Two Americas’ Truer Now than Ever
by Bill Moyers and Michael Winship
April 10, 2013

You may think you know about Martin Luther King, Jr., but there is much about the man and his message we have conveniently forgotten. He was a prophet, like Amos, Isaiah and Jeremiah of old, calling kings and plutocrats to account — speaking truth to power.

King was only 39 when he was murdered in Memphis 45 years ago, on April 4th, 1968.

The 1963 March on Washington and the 1965 March from Selma to Montgomery were behind him. So was the successful passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. In the last year of his life, as he moved toward Memphis and his death, he announced what he called the Poor People’s Campaign, a “multi-racial army” that would come to Washington, build an encampment and demand from Congress an “Economic Bill of Rights” for all Americans — black, white, or brown. He had long known that the fight for racial equality could not be separated from the need for economic equity — fairness for all, including working people and the poor.

Martin Luther King, Jr., had more than a dream — he envisioned what America could be, if only it lived up to its promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for each and every citizen. That’s what we have conveniently forgotten as the years have passed and his reality has slowly been shrouded in the marble monuments of sainthood.

But read part of the speech Dr. King made at Stanford University in 1967, a year before his assassination and marvel at how relevant his words remain...(Read the entire commentary here...)

 

Message from National President Benjamin Jealous:
Stand with the NAACP to say that voting is a right, not a "racial entitlement"

Here's what Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had to say recently when discussing the wide margin with which the Voting Rights Act has been reenacted in both the Senate and the House of Representatives: "Now, I don’t think that’s attributable to the fact that it is so much clearer now that we need this. I think it is attributable, very likely attributable, to a phenomenon that is called perpetuation of racial entitlement. It’s been written about. Whenever a society adopts racial entitlements, it is very difficult to get out of them through the normal political processes."

Voting isn't an entitlement but a right — one we fought to get and one we've fought to keep.

Please sign our petition in support of the Voting Rights Act now.

"Antonino Scalia is perhaps the highest profile example of a descendant of Italian immigrants who forgot where he came from. I grew up with some like him." — personal opinion of Andrew Barbano, Reno-Sparks Branch No. 1112

MLK Day 2012

Reno, NV – The Northern Nevada Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday Committee and the Nevada Clergy Association announce the 27th Annual Interfaith Community Memorial Service on Sunday, January 20, 2013, at 3:00 p.m. at the Second Baptist Church, 1265 Montello Street in Reno.
     This year's program theme is "Moving Forward with the Dream." Keynote speaker will be the Rev. Michael L. Randle, pastor of Second Baptist Church and president of the African-American Clergy Council of Northern Nevada.
      The Rev. Onie Cooper Humanitarian Award will be presented to Elder William "Bill" Moon who serves on the Executive Committee for the Reno-Sparks Branch of the NAACP. The award will also be presented to Volunteers of America (VOA), the non-profit organization that runs family homeless shelters in downtown Reno. Rachelle Pellissier, regional vice-president of VOA in northern Nevada, will accept the award.
      Bishop Gene Savoy, Jr., chairman of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday Committee and president of the Nevada Clergy Association, said "we congratulate the recipients of the Onie Cooper Humanitarian Award for their service and dedication to helping others as we celebrate the life and legacy of a great American, especially in the context of the issues that face us today."
      On Monday, January 21, 2013, the 15th Annual Community Memorial Caravan will depart Second Baptist Church at 10:30 a.m. Participants will drive a portion of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Highway (I-580) to honor King. The caravan will leave the church and drive north to Stead Blvd. It will proceed south to Neil Road and then back to the church, where a reception will be held.
      Events are free and open to the public. For information, call the Nevada Clergy Association at (775) 786-1800 or e-mail Bishop Savoy.

The Abolitionists now on PBS —Premiering January 8, 15 and 22, 2013. Abolitionist allies Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Brown and Angelina Grimké turned a despised fringe movement against chattel slavery into a force that literally changed the nation. Check local listings for times and reruns. PBS.org usually has local program information posted.

WHY WATCH? The more things change, the more they stay the same. Human rights activists estimate that human trafficking worldwide today ranges into the millions. The United States and Nevada are by no means immune. Las Vegas has long been infamous as a hub for the trade in underaged girls. National and international estimates vary for reasons obvious and arcane. The U.S. court system is and has been creating a permanent underclass of secondary citizens. For more, read The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. And watch these programs.

Reno-Sparks NAACP swears in new officers Jan. 3, 2013
Jeffrey Blanck first non-African-American leader in Reno-Sparks Branch 66-year history

RENO, Nev. —The Reno-Sparks NAACP will swear in new leadership at its meeting on Thursday, Jan. 3.

Jeffrey Blanck

Past-Presidents Honor Roll

Longtime Reno attorney Jeffrey Blanck, who previously served as second vice-president and legal redress chair, will succeed Lonnie Feemster who is concluding the last of four non-consecutive two-year terms.

Blanck becomes the first non-African-American president in the branch's 66-year history.

"I am proud that our leadership and membership reflect the rich diversity of our community and our country," Blanck said.

Feemster expressed optimism for the incoming officers and executive committee members of the local civil rights advocacy organization.

"I have worked with most of the incoming group and I know they are dedicated and committed to the work of the NAACP. I am proud to have served four terms as president of our local branch and will continue to work to reduce racial disparities and discrimination in our community," Feemster stated.

Lonnie Feemster will continue to serve on the branch executive committee and as the Nevada State Director for the NAACP National Voter Fund.

The new leadership will be sworn in at the branch's regular monthly meeting, 6:00 p.m. Thursday, January 3, 2013, 1094 E. 8th St., Reno, NV 89512.

The 2013-2014 governing body of the Reno-Sparks NAACP AFTER SWEARING IN (3 Jan. 2013) — Standing, left to right: Sharrone Blanck, Gale Sanders, Lonnie Feemster, Donald Gallimore Sr., Patricia Gallimore, Larry Wilson, Jimi Sheryl Bufkin, Dr. R. Grant Seals (rear), Elder William Moon (in white, front), Tommie J. Vance, Andrew Barbano, Lucille Adin. Seated, left to right: Jeffrey Blanck, Heather Hauskins, Jane Moon. (Sherleta Gambrell photo) Jeffrey Blanck, President Andrew Barbano, First Vice-President Patricia Gallimore, Second Vice-President George Hardaway, Third Vice-President   Olene Boyer, Secretary* Dolores Feemster, Assistant Secretary Heather Hauskins, Treasurer* Lucille Adin, Assistant Treasurer* EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Sharrone Blanck, Jimi Bufkin, Ceola Davis, Darryl Feemster, Lonnie Feemster, Donald Gallimore Sr., Brian A. Jackson, Jane Moon, Elder William Moon, Bertha Mullins, Gale Sanders, Dr. R. Grant Seals, James H. Stinson, Tommie J. Vance, Maria A. Velez, Rev. William Webb, Larry Wilson *UPDATE: Ms. Boyer was unable to accept the office of secretary due to health reasons. President Jeffrey Blanck has appointed Heather Hauskins to replace her and has named Lucille Adin as treasurer. Reno-Sparks Branch Past-Presidents Honor Roll

All were elected to two-year terms last November.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the nation's leading civil rights organization, was founded in 1909.

Reno-Sparks Branch No. 1112 was chartered in 1947.

Membership applications, dues payments, civil rights complaint forms and other information may be accessed via RenoSparksNAACP.org

E-mail <info@renosparksnaacp.org>

U.S. Postal Service Address: P.O. Box 7757, Reno, NV 89510

Phone (775) 322-2992

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A version of the above appeared in the Reno Gazette-Journal on Saturday, 5 Jan 2013. We are informed that another version will appear in Northern Nevada Business Weekly on 14 Jan. 2013.

Additional media
Jeff Blanck on KOLO TV-8 (ABC) News at 6:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. PST 9 Jan 2013.
Jeff Blanck on KUNR-fm 88-7 (NPR) at 2:00 p.m. PST 9 Jan. 2013
Jeff Blanck on Get Real, America! with Chip Evans and Verita Black-Prothro, KJFK 1230-am, 9:00 a.m. PST 19 Jan. 2013 —>iTunes

December 26, 2012 Dear Reno/Sparks NAACP members: I have the honor and privilege to serve as the president of the Reno/Sparks Branch of the NAACP for the next two years. Historically, the NAACP has focused on issues with black Americans. That focus will remain, but we also deal with all discrimination based on the color of a person’s skin. Two major areas of concern for me are public education and the criminal court system. The dropout rates for black and brown children are well above the state and national average. Racial bullying occurs regularly. An inordinately high number of our children of color are being sent to juvenile hall, and an excessively high number of people of color are being incarcerated in state prison. Obviously, I cannot solve all of our discrimination problems alone. I need your help and your input. Attached is the schedule and location of our monthly meetings that I hope you will all attend. We need to increase our membership to include our college students, working adults, and professionals. Everyone is welcome to join the NAACP regardless of their race or color. I also want to plan events that will bring our community together. I want the Reno/Sparks Branch to be at the center of all civil rights issues facing our community. Through our combined efforts we can accomplish our goal of decreasing the negative impacts of racial discrimination. Since I do not know many of you personally, I have attached my biography for your review. This will give you some insight into who I am. I look forward to meeting all of you and working with you to implement Dr. King’s dream of a society where people are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Sincerely, Jeffrey S. Blanck President Elect, Reno/Sparks NAACP Jeffrey S. Blanck: Biography I was born in 1954 in Mt. Vernon, New York, just outside the Bronx. I have two older sisters and our family of five lived in a one bedroom apartment. We moved to Los Angeles in 1961 when my father got a job in the aerospace industry working for NASA on the Gemini and Apollo missions. I went through high school in Los Angeles and attended USC on a gymnastics scholarship in 1971. For my sophomore year, I transferred to UC Davis on an academic scholarship and studied Agriculture and Ecology. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Ecology in 1975 and worked in various areas of agriculture such as cattle ranching, crop production, feedlots and grain inspection. In 1979, I returned to college to obtain a second Bachelor’s degree in Russian Language and Literature at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.. I also attended Middlebury College’s intensive language programs for two summers in Vermont and obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Russian in 1980. I was hired by NBC to be a guide at the Moscow Olympics but the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan but we boycotted the Olympics. I then applied and was accepted to law school at Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. I obtained my law degree in 1984 and joined my father (who went to law school at age 40) in his law practice. We represented school districts, businesses, and criminals on appeal. When my father retired in 1988, I was hired as Deputy County Counsel of El Dorado County in Placerville, California. After a year, I was hired as the Agency Counsel for Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (“TRPA”) in Lake Tahoe. Four years later in 1993, I left TRPA and went to study Hebrew, Religion and Culture at an institute in the Judean Desert in Israel for six months. I then returned to the Bay Area in 1994 and worked for an international Human Resources training firm as well as a nonprofit agency that trained Russian lawyers in environmental advocacy. I met my African-American wife Sharrone in 1995 and we were married in 1997. My wife and I have two biracial sons, Noah, who is 14, and Max, who is 12. Noah attends Wooster High School’s IB program and Max attends High Desert Montessori School. My wife works for the State in Early Childhood Development. Now, being a member of a family of color, I have witnessed firsthand the disparity in treatment, institutional racism, and, at times, overt racism that still exists in our society. My family is Jewish and in 1998 while we were members of Temple Emanuel in Reno, my wife taught at the religious school that both my sons attended. Over two years the Temple was firebombed twice by white supremacists. I served as the President of Temple Emanuel and later as the president of Temple Sinai, where my family is currently members and my wife, Noah and I teach at the religious school. In February 1998, my family and I came to Reno because I was hired as the first General Counsel for the Washoe County School District. In 2003, I reported financial and other misconduct committed by the Superintendent to the Board of Trustees of the District. The Board capitulated to the superintendent’s demands to have me terminated or he would quit. I was terminated in March of 2004 and the superintendent resigned three months later. As a private attorney I joined the Reno/Sparks branch of the NAACP in 2004 and have been the Legal Redress Committee Chair since that time. In 2010, I became the second vice-president. I have attended seven of the two-day legal seminars held at the NAACP National Conventions over the past eight years and I am currently a Silver Life member of the NAACP. From 2004 to the present, I have been an attorney in private practice focusing on Civil Rights, Employment, and Education matters. I represent people of color in federal and state courts on discrimination claims, wrongful termination of employees in administrative hearings, teachers facing discipline, students with disabilities, charter schools and people who are denied their First Amendment, Fourth Amendment and due process rights. My recreational activities include whitewater rafting (which I have been doing for over 30 years) hiking, camping, mountain biking, reading and writing. I look forward to working with all of you over the next two years as president of NAACP Reno-Sparks Branch No. 1112.

Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month Rita Cannan Elementary School / Multi-purpose Room 2450 Cannan Street * Reno, NV 89512 Executive Committee 6:30 p.m. / General Membership 7:00 p.m. Meeting agendas

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Membership Meeting Agendas
NAACP Reno/Sparks Branch #1112
Phone: (775) 322-2992
P.O. Box 7757
Reno, NV 89510
Email: info@renosparksnaacp.org

Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month
Rita Cannan Elementary School / Multi-purpose Room
2450 Cannan Street * Reno, NV 89512
Executive Committee 6:30 p.m. / General Membership 7:00 p.m.

2013-14 Officers and Executive Committee

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Reno-Sparks-Washoe Education: Smoke & Mirrors

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Martin Luther King Weekend 2013

César Chávez Day 2013

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Mary Valencia Wilson, 1944-2011

Rev. Onie Cooper, 1925-2011

Reno-Sparks Branch Past-Presidents Honor Roll

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