Members seek transparency within NAACP branch

In a time of long-overdue and a rapidly changing landscape in the civil rights realm of our society, we, as current members of the Ambler NAACP Branch, have branch leadership who is engaging in opaque management of a member-driven organization. Given the new leadership and transition of many aspects of branch leadership, we have made inquiries, we have tapped existing relationships, and we have followed the chain of command and our questions have not been answered on the local, state, and national levels. In fact, as current members of the Ambler NAACP Branch, our voices have been deliberately silenced and our value has been diminished since the abrupt leadership change at the end of February. We now crowdsource our quest for answers in this letter as we see no other recourse in seeking accountability.

The egregious actions of the Ambler NAACP Branch includes a planned inauguration for the new Branch President yet there were no membership meetings for the months of February, March and April, which is a requirement as a NAACP Branch. Two of us were blocked from entering a Branch Zoom meeting in May for the first 15-20 minutes of the call. The mandatory “Unfinished business” meeting agenda item was omitted on the call and our repeated requests to speak during the Zoom call were ignored.

Further violations, as current members of the Ambler NAACP Branch, we have not received any official minutes, branch financial or operational reports. There has been a total overhaul of new Executive Committee members and as members, we had no direct notification to us. For example, the Membership Chair from the previous leadership team was removed from the current executive committee with no formal notification or vote on record. Her request for a Zoom recording of a meeting she participated in on February 13th was repeatedly denied. It is as if the meeting never occurred. That is unacceptable in a non-profit organization.

Another current member from Souderton was told that under the new leadership that the Souderton Area School District and community was removed as a service area with no written explanation after four consecutive “request to respond” emails were sent to all levels of leadership under the NAACP protocol structure. How can a civil rights organization stand on the formality of territories when the need remains in the greater Souderton area and the citizens welcome assistance in securing and protecting their civil rights?

We, as current members of the Ambler NAACP Branch, expected governance inclusive of members, open communication, and the ability to participate in the activities and committee work of the branch. In the NAACP training and in our experience, we understand that the local Executive Committee governs the local branch, not just the President. We are asking for transparency, accountability, and responsiveness from the Ambler NAACP Branch, a member-driven organization. We need that. We expect that. And utilizing social media as the predominant form of communication is not a replacement for direct communication, e.g., emails to the general body made up of paid members, like us. Finding out our branch had organized and led Zoom webinars, marches/town halls/civil rights

walks in Ambler and Lansdale at the last minute, if at all, is unacceptable and counterintuitive to a member-driven organization.

We, as current paid members of the Ambler NAACP Branch, regret our

experience, since February 13, 2020 to present, has been disempowering. That is the exact opposite of why we aligned with a civil rights organization. That is the exact opposite of what the NAACP Bylaws and Constitution governing the local branches/ units outline for their members. We demand the leadership of the Ambler

NAACP Branch change and fulfill its mission and involve all paid and willing branch members in the civil rights work of the branch.