| NAACP |
Golden anniversary
Colquitt County NAACP celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023
by Kasmira Smith
In April 1973 , a mass meeting held at Mother Easter Baptist Church resulted in Colquitt County becoming the home to a branch of the United States ’ oldest civil rights organization known as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People .
Members said they were experiencing taxation without representation , unequal pay and employment discrimination , which inspired them to form the Colquitt County branch of the NAACP .
John Cross organized the initial meeting with Robert Flanagan of Atlanta , the association ’ s state field director , to learn the NAACP ’ s purpose and procedures . The branch was officially chartered in the summer of 1973 with Doris Strong George serving as president , John Strong serving as treasurer and Isabella Brooks serving as secretary .
For 17 years , Brooks held the secretary position until 1990 , but she remained an active member after relinquishing the officer ’ s role . She was named president in 1999 and has served in that position for 23 years .
What made her want to join the association was the integration of schools .
“ Well , at the time they were closing Black schools in the Black community and were transporting the kids out of the neighborhood to the other schools . The people in the community didn ’ t like it because Black people were losing their jobs [ due to ] integration . That ’ s why we decided to organize the NAACP [ branch ],” Brooks explained .
The Colquitt County Branch of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP ) honored its longest participating members , Outgoing President Isabella Brooks and Treasurer Velma Thomas , at its 49th annual Freedom Fund Banquet Dec . 3 , 2022 . Photo by Kasmira Smith
The Colquitt County NAACP branch often worked in conjunction with the Moultrie Men ’ s Club to sponsor voter registration drives with the association ’ s Youth Council , which was chartered in 1974 . Both organizations filed a reapportionment suit for “ district voting ” in 1975 after numerous Black candidates failed to get elected to public office under the local “ at large ” voting .
22 MoultrieScene MARCH 2023