Greetings from Our President.

Greetings from your new President, Owen Shortt. First, I am truly humbled by this extraordinary expression of confidence by the leadership of this great organization. It is with distinct honor to be the President of the Fairfax County Branch of the NAACP. Let me begin with a little background information about Owen Shortt. I was born in the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, formerly known as British Guyana, located in Northeast South America. I grew up in New York City, then migrated to Maryland where I began a non-profit organization, United Community Foundation, with a childhood friend.

This organization focused on affordable housing for residents in Baltimore, MD. Also, I started a Baltimore County back-to-school haircut program for the county’s neediest kids. I have operated and managed a highly successful retail store in Maryland and Virginia where I consistently developed strategies that provided competitive advantages to the stores. I identified challenges and opportunities associated with the infusion of new technologies that exceeded the owner’s needs and desires. I became a District Manager based on these accomplishments and I am now pursuing an opportunity and career in real estate. I envision using my skills to shape and lead the NAACP into the future. I will fully commit myself the Fairfax County Branch of the NAACP and the interests of the organization in the year ahead.

First and foremost, I wish to praise God for this rich blessing and privilege to serve the NAACP. I will never forget who I serve nor lose contact with those I serve. I will never misunderstand the nature and honor of the privilege God has given to me. Secondly, I want to express my sincerest thanks and appreciation to all of the members of the NAACP who came out and voted for the next leadership of this organization.

Thirdly, a special acknowledgement goes to my beautiful wife, Michelle, and my wonderful kids for their unswerving support and sacrifice in allowing me to serve our community and the NAACP. Fourthly, I commend the out-going President, Mrs. Olivia S. Jones-Smith for her untiring leadership, hard work, and accomplishments in 2010. She is a shining example of honorable service the Fairfax County branch of the NAACP. Lastly, I extend my gratitude to Mr. Charles Summer for his support and the very gracious remarks after the election results were published. Like every leader, I wish to share my vision with all of you:

(1) I plan to develop a number of enduring partnerships with other community-based organizations to address the multi-faceted nature of issues and challenges within our communities and county;

(2) I plan to conduct a series of community forums dealing with education and the academic achievement gap in Fairfax County;

(3) I plan to assess and explore legal redressing concerning racial profiling associated with traffic violations, immigration, housing availability, and commercial-business practices;

(4) I plan to continue engaging the Fairfax County governmental leadership to ensure the voting re-districting effort is fair and equitable throughout Fairfax County.

In closing, we are dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal and endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights. Multilateralism within our efforts is deeply rooted in the history of mankind. We can never hide from history—We make history. Thank you, God gives us the strength to toil ahead, and God bless all of you.

Our mission

Founded Feb. 12. 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest, largest, and most widely recognized grassroots–based civil rights organization is in its Centennial year. Its more than half-million members and supporters throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization, and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

Tinner Hill has been recognized as being the location where the first rural branch of the National Association for the Protection of Colored People (NAACP) was initiated in the United States. In 1915, a few brave African American citizens—led by E.B. Henderson and Joseph Tinner—fought an ordinance that was proposed that would have segregated housing. They called themselves the Colored Citizens Protective League (CCPL) the group evolved to become the first rural branch of the NAACP in the nation.

Join the NAACP, Fairfax County Branch to support the mission and objectives below:

Our Mission and Vision Statement

The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.

The vision of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights and there is no racial hatred or racial discrimination.

Objectives

The following statement of objectives is found on the first page of the NAACP Constitution — the principal objectives of the Association shall be:

• To ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all citizens.

• To achieve equality of rights and eliminate race prejudice among the citizens of the United States.

• To remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes

• To seek enactment and enforcement of federal, state, and local laws securing civil rights.

• To inform the public of the adverse effects of racial discrimination and to seek its elimination.

• To educate persons as to their constitutional rights and to take all lawful action to secure the exercise thereof, and to take any other lawful action in furtherance of these objectives, consistent with the NAACP's Articles of Incorporation and this Constitution.
  

The Struggle Continues