NAACP Dalton-Whitfield looks to build 'inclusive community'

Charles Oliver, The Daily Citizen, Dalton, Ga.
·3 min read

Jul. 19—Marisa Kelley, president of the NAACP Dalton-Whitfield Chapter, said she is proud Dalton was celebrating Juneteenth before it became a federal holiday in 2021.

"This was our fifth year," she said of the recent observance, which was organized by the group.

She said the activities and participation have grown each year.

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, which occurred on June 19, 1865, when the last remaining people held in bondage learned of their freedom in Galveston, Texas.

Kelley and some other Dalton-Whitfield NAACP officers spoke recently about the Juneteenth observance as well as the group's future plans.

This year's observance featured six events over two weekends, including a parade and a gala at the Dalton Convention Center that was attended by more than 400.

"This year we held two new events," said Chelsea DeWaters, communications committee chair for the Dalton-Whitfield NAACP.

"We had a spades tournament and a fish fry at the Emery Center (an African American heritage and cultural center) and they were hugely successful," she said.

The spades tournament had 14 teams.

"We like to do something different each year," said Kelley. "We did a basketball tournament one year. This year we wanted to do something at the Emery Center. We knew people like to play cards. They like fish, so it seemed like a good idea."

The NAACP Dalton-Whitfield Chapter holds its third annual Back to School Jam on Saturday, Aug. 5, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mack Gaston Community Center, 218 N. Fredrick St. in Dalton. The event is in partnership with Shaw Industries.

"We are going to give out over 700 bags of school supplies to local children," Kelley said.

Kelley said the group's vision is to create an inclusive community. To that end, she said, the group seeks to work with individuals and other groups.

For instance, as part of the local observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday the group not only held a wreath laying at Dalton's King memorial, it also sponsored a day of service. Volunteers had three opportunities to serve: a cleanup of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard; renovations of Dalton's Greater Works ministry; and the Mack Gaston Community Center hosted a blanket and sock drive.

Stacie Kilgore, membership chair of the NAACP Dalton-Whitfield, said she is glad to see other groups are increasingly seeking to partner with the NAACP.

"We are trying to reach out to those groups to participate in our events, so that the public will be aware of the resources available in this community," she said.

Antoine Simmons, the NAACP Dalton-Whitfield's second vice president, said the group follows the mission of the national NAACP.

"Our mission statement is 'to achieve equity, political rights and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination and accelerate the well-being, education and economic security of Black people and all persons of color,'" he said.

"That's our mission. Our vision is 'an inclusive community rooted in liberation where all persons can exercise their civil and human rights without discrimination,'" he said.

He said the group looks to spur policy changes to reach those goals.

"But to get to policy you have to get to know each other," he said. "So a lot of what has been laid out over the last few years is fostering those relationships."

The NAACP Dalton-Whitfield Chapter meets the fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Mack Gaston Community Center. The meetings are open to the public.