Fairfax County NAACP Again Wins Prestigious National Award!
For the second time in six years, the Fairfax County NAACP has won the NAACP’s prestigious Thalheimer Award, recognizing it as the most engaged and activist local branch of its size in the nation.
“This is a unique honor and one that we do not take lightly,” said Fairfax NAACP President Niki Zimmerman. “Indeed, it is a tribute to our late President Michelle Leete, who led our branch with distinction throughout 2023 and tragically died before her time at the start of the new year. We dedicate this award to her memory and pledge to continue the fight for racial equity and justice for all.”
The Thalheimer Award, named after social justice activist and university professor Ross J. Thalheimer, was established in 1944 by the foundation bearing his name. It acknowledges the stalwart advocacy of the members and leaders of the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, who engage daily in the fight to end racism and create a just society. Thalheimer, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, became a renowned educator and lecturer in psychology, sociology, and philosophy, as well as a committed advocate for racial justice and world peace.
In seeking the award, the Fairfax NAACP highlighted its work in the areas of education, criminal justice reform, housing, political action, and religious affairs. The award period of May 2023 to May 2024 proved fertile for the branch. Notable highlights include:
- Education Committee: Recognized for spearheading advocacy to change Fairfax County Public Schools’ use of debunked methods of teaching reading to young children and replace them with a phonics-based curriculum, ensuring that every child has a fair shake at this cornerstone of civic life.
- Criminal Justice Committee: Led the push to hold the Fairfax County Police Department accountable for the tragic and unnecessary killing of Timothy Johnson at Tysons Corner Shopping Mall and to begin developing policies to protect citizens from unnecessary police use of force.
- Housing Committee: Focused on lobbying the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for additional funds to enhance the county’s stock of affordable housing. They also advocated for more services for the unhoused, conducting a survey of more than sixty homeless citizens on their needs during the extreme summer heat and sharing those findings with county personnel.
- Political Action Committee: Led a “Souls to the Polls” drive in 2023 and created a website listing all nominees up for election in the county to ensure that voters were not confused during an election season that saw near-total redistricting of its national and statewide elected representatives’ regions.
- Religious Affairs Committee: Held a highly meaningful Juneteenth celebration, in conjunction with NOVA Parks, honoring the recently discovered gravesites of the formerly enslaved on the grounds of Bull Run Regional Park.
The Thalheimer Awards will be presented during the National NAACP’s Annual Convention from July 14 to July 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Former president Karen Campblin, who continues to serve as the branch’s 2nd Vice President and on the board of the NAACP’s Virginia State Conference as the Chair of its Environmental and Climate Justice Committee, will be on hand to accept the award. A celebration is being planned for later in the month, to be announced once the convention delegates have returned home with the Thalheimer Award proudly in hand.
“Our branch of volunteer activists is dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal and deserve respect and fair treatment in every circumstance they encounter in Fairfax County,” said President Zimmerman. “We look forward to working closely with our allied partners and elected leaders to ensure these rights for all, and we invite all like-minded residents to join us.”
The Branch expresses deep appreciation to the National NAACP for this recognition, and to their members, supporters, and community partners who have steadfastly supported them. They also extend heartfelt gratitude to the committee chairs and committees, whose dedication and efforts have been instrumental in their achievements. Together, they remain dedicated to upholding its mission of ensuring the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights for all individuals, and in eradicating race-based discrimination.
The Fairfax County NAACP is honored to have received the NAACP’s prestigious Ella Jo Baker Award. This award recognizes the top three units in each category with the highest membership percent increase between May 1, 2023, and June 17, 2024.
Ella Baker began her involvement with the NAACP in 1940, serving as a field secretary and later as director of branches. Her tireless efforts in the fight against Jim Crow laws and her pivotal role in co-founding the organization In Friendship, which supported the historic bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, underscore her enduring legacy. In 1957, Baker’s dedication continued as she helped organize Martin Luther King Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and led a voter registration campaign called the Crusade for Citizenship.
We are proud to uphold Ella Baker’s legacy through our continued efforts in advocacy, community engagement, and the fight for racial equality. This recognition reflects the dedication and hard work of our members and supporters.
Fairfax County NAACP Wins Thalheimer Award
Headline News, News, News for You
DATE July 11, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fairfax County NAACP Wins Coveted Thalheimer Award
Kofi Annan, President of the Fairfax County (VA) NAACP, announced today on Facebook that the local Fairfax branch that he leads has won the national association’s highest honor for a local operation, the Thalheimer Award. Established in 1944, the award recognizes “outstanding achievements” by local branches in “the implementation of the Association’s strategic priorities and goals.” These include “enhancing advocacy, civic engagement, economic and political empowerment, criminal justice, and educational equity.”
“Fairfax County is the home of the best branch in the NAACP branch in the nation,” Annan posted. “We’ve always felt that way … but today it became official!”
In its application for the award, the branch cited a variety of activities and initiatives, including the successful two-year “Change the Name” campaign that sought to convince the Fairfax County School Board that having the most diverse high school in the County named after a Confederate general was a detriment to learning and an insult to students and residents alike. In July 2017, the school board voted that the name of J.E.B. Stuart had to go and later in the year coalesced around the name Justice High School. The school is being revamped this summer and will officially open with its new moniker next month.
In addition, the branch’s outstanding civic engagement was cited. During 2017-2018 eligibility period, the branch held powerful forums on immigration, discriminatory hiring practices in Fairfax County Public Schools, criminal justice reform initiatives, the School to Prison pipeline issue, and a candidate forum for state elections that included (by Skype) candidate (now governor) Ralph Northam.
The application also cited the branch’s deep involvement with local government in advising public officials on such issues as Police Body-Worn Cameras, School Resource Officer policy in schools, and the recently established Police Civilian Review Panel.
Annan praised his Executive Committee—all volunteers—for their outstanding work in “achieving change and raising awareness.” He noted: “The last year and a half was amazing, and we’re just getting started. We look forward to building on the efforts and the relationships forged (during that time) and to press even harder for change in the months and years ahead.”
The award is especially welcome this year, as 2018 marks the 100 th year anniversary of the NAACP in Fairfax County. The award will be presented next week at the NAACP’s Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas.