Monroe County's NAACP branch focuses on education in numerous ways

The Monroe County chapter of the NAACP was founded in 1978 and, according to membership chair Beverly Calender-Anderson, the fundamental mission has not changed.

Today's NAACP has evolved, said Calender-Anderson, who has been involved for about 20 years.

"So, when I first started, we were really focused on government, and making sure that there was representation in government," Calendar-Anderson said. "Now we've got a book club, and we've got a healthcare team, and we've got legal redress … even though we don't represent, but we can advise."

Calendar-Anderson said the local chapter provides advice to people who feel they have experienced discrimination.

Calendar-Anderson was with Monroe County NAACP branch treasurer David Jones tabling at the city-sponsored Black Market on a recent Saturday letting people know about scholarship opportunities.

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The Monroe County NAACP offers scholarships for Monroe County high school seniors enrolling in either Indiana University or Ivy Tech or who are rising Indiana University or Ivy Tech sophomores and juniors.

"We're very proud of and happy to have a very strong NAACP studentchapter at IU," Jones said. "We're happy to support those students, and other qualifying students."

Empowering and supporting students in area schools

Calender-Anderson said the local branch supports students in other ways too. The local chapter's education committee works with Monroe County Community School Corp. to address diversity within schools.

"We talk about how kids are treated, or their perception of how they're treated," she said. Calendar-Anderson said a team of people involved with the local NAACP has worked with students and administrators at MCCSC on improving nondiscrimination policies.

Continuing to support education and student empowerment are both part of Calendar-Anderson and Jones' hopes for the future of the organization.

"I have a background from many years ago in teaching in the inner city in Chicago, in schools that were very under-resourced, and there was verylittle will to do something about that. So I'm very proud to be in a community that addresses this kind of issue … where we have a lot of progressive, educated people who would care about such things," Jones said.

"We don't have a formal role, of course, in advising, but we find that the school board and administrators in the school are taking our commentary seriously, and we feel we're accomplishing something."

Expanding outreach and involving new generations

Both representatives are enthusiastic about the direction of the NAACP in Monroe County, and its inclusion of the needs of students.

"We look to the young people to talk about the future of the organization and where it's going," Calendar-Anderson said.

Support for students in Monroe County isn't limited to high school and college students. The organization plans to form a youth council to address the educational needs of younger children as well.

"My hope — and I'm not speaking for the organization at this point — my hope is leadership development," Calendar-Anderson said. "That we are preparing the next generation of leaders who can then be on top of issues. Issues that are concerning them as young people, but also, in thefuture, national and local issues that concern them, and they will be prepared to lead.

"What we do is help young people formulate their ideas, be able to speak up for themselves in a way that they can be heard, to recognize when they're being discriminated against and call that out, and then work within a system — or outside of a system if you have to — in order to correct some of the injustice."

The criminal justice system is one area that has historically and disproportionately had negative effects on the Black community. Monroe County's NAACP has been involved in talks about building a new jail and what a system of justice could and should look like locally.

"We don't have a formal role with the new jail, but have been there to give voice to people who may not have a voice at the table, because they can't get to a meeting at 4:30 in the afternoon, or they don't feelcomfortable even coming to those meetings," Calendar-Anderson said. "We're able to be their voice at times, in those spaces."

Monroe County's NAACP also plays a vital role in community-building.

"Our membership consists of your normal everyday bank teller, beauty-shop owner, retiree, as well as members of the city council, sheriff, police department, mayor. It's a very diverse membership group, and they get to talk to one another, one on one. They get to know one another outside of their official roles, and that helps community-building as well," Calendar-Anderson said.

Jones seconded Calendar-Anderson's assessment of what being a member is like.

"Because we're a group of people really committed to making the world a better place," Jones said, "consistent with the long-standing objectives of the NAACP nationally, it's really a very friendly group. I find that we're a group of people who are concerned about our community andbeyond, and in that shared interest, we find a great affinity with one another."

Applying for the Monroe County NAACP scholarship

The Monroe County Indiana Branch of the NAACP offers two $1,500 scholarships and one book/educational materials grant for $500. Recipients also receive a one-year NAACP membership.

To be eligible, applicants must either be a senior at a Bloomington high school or a rising sophomore or rising junior currently enrolled at either Indiana University or Ivy Tech. The application deadline is March 22, 2024.

Interested applicants can apply online at https://form.jotform.com/240448061708152

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: How the NAACP branch in Monroe County, Indiana, has evolved