Fellow compatriots,

Let me start by saying thank you to the members of the East County Branch of the NAACP for their decision to have me lead the branch at this moment when the face of our local and national politics is changing, and the need for the nation’s foremost civil rights organization to embrace the digital generation is paramount.

It is incumbent upon the officers and the executive members of this branch to provide the bridge to the future by re-energizing the branch through a process of meangingful re-structuring, and by making concrete changes to attract, retain and effectively engage the energy and innovativeness of the youth in our community to create a sustainable campaign of justice and equality for all under the new political dispensation.

We must remember that our efforts to become more inclusive and forward looking may require that we remain tolerant of one another and endure the pains that come with influx of younger folks, and our desire to engage them as we push the initiatives of our nobel organization. The work ahead of us is enormous. From the campaign for equal access to education and health care, to the need to eliminate police brutality and racial profiling. In order for us to achieve intended results, we must not walk alone.

We will work with leaders of our cities, boards of school and health care districts, and progressive organizations to ensure that rights and privileges are no longer determined by the pigmentation of our skins. We cannot over-emphasize the relevance of our churches and religious leaders in the struggle for human rights and social justice. This administration will reach out to them and ask for their support as we continue the campaign for equal treatment.

We must always respect and preserve the integrity of one and another even when we disagree on styles of management or positions on issues of common interest. Let us remember that no one amongst us is better than all of us as a team. We must work together.

Our desire shall remain the preservation of what the NAACP stands for. In closing, I thank you all for doing me the honor to lead the branch, and together we will make East County a better place for all without regard to race, religion, social belief, or gender. Joseph Adebayo President