Mayor questions participation of local NAACP in political process
By Chris Sykes, Staff Writer
Months ago when Irvington Unit NAACP President Kathleen Witcher came up with the idea to hold a Community Convention in town, it was met with enthusiasm by some and skepticism by others.
Since then, both Witcher and the idea conventions have come under increased scrutiny as some in town have questioned her motives for organizing what appears to be a politically motivated endeavor.
There have been claims from members of the Team Irvington political and social organization, including Mayor Wayne Smith, that she was overstepping her bounds as the head of a neutral and ostensibly non-political civil rights organization like the NAACP by endorsing some of the prospective candidates.
That, according to Witcher, is what might have led Pastor Jerry Smith to change his mind about allowing the latest convention at his church on Clinton Avenue. The Rev. Smith could not be reached for comment by press time, but Mayor Smith said he believes the local Irvington unit may be doing that go against the state and national charter.
“The NAACP does not endorse candidates,” he said. “They are prohibited from doing that, and all the stories I’ve read in the Irvington Herald about the stated reasons for organizing and holding these Community Conventions have said they were using the community forums as a way to pick candidates, and the NAACP is not allowed to do that. They are a non-partisan, non-political civil rights organization, I’m not against anybody exercising their right to assembly or organize, but the NAACP is not supposed to do that.”
Smith said he is a longtime member of the NAACP and even serves on the board of NJ Citizen Action, the citizen watchdog group, with James Harris, the state president of the NAACP. He said two weeks ago NJ Citizen Action endorsed his re-election bid, but Harris had to abstain from the endorsement vote because the NAACP does not do that.
“You can’t have it both ways,” Smith said. “I’m a member of the NAACP and I support the organization and Ms. Witcher can ask me to do anything related to the activities and issues that the organization is well-known and highly regarded for. I’m not a Johnny-come-lately, and I understand what the NAACP is all about and I can‘t sit by and watch individuals engage in actions apparently under its auspices that they are not supposed to be doing. “
The Feb. 22 convention that had been scheduled to be held at Christian Pentecostal Church, Smith’s church, was instead moved over to Greater New Point Church on Paine Avenue.
“The purpose of a convention is to hear from all the candidates and the general theme on Monday night was the need for change and making a difference,“ Witcher said. “Every candidate felt that was the basis for their candidacy. I think that some people may have gone to Clinton Avenue thinking that we would be there and did not redirect themselves back to Paine Avenue, because I was hard-pressed to get word of the change in venue out to interested people in the community after we had to rescheduled.”
Witcher said she felt Monday evening’s event went well. So well, in fact, that despite Team Irvington’s apparent boycotting of the event for the aforementioned reasons she said there is a fourth Community Convention scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. on March 11 at Second Reformed Church on the corner of Elmwood and Florence avenues.
Months ago when Irvington Unit NAACP President Kathleen Witcher came up with the idea to hold a Community Convention in town, it was met with enthusiasm by some and skepticism by others.
Since then, both Witcher and the idea conventions have come under increased scrutiny as some in town have questioned her motives for organizing what appears to be a politically motivated endeavor.
There have been claims from members of the Team Irvington political and social organization, including Mayor Wayne Smith, that she was overstepping her bounds as the head of a neutral and ostensibly non-political civil rights organization like the NAACP by endorsing some of the prospective candidates.
That, according to Witcher, is what might have led Pastor Jerry Smith to change his mind about allowing the latest convention at his church on Clinton Avenue. The Rev. Smith could not be reached for comment by press time, but Mayor Smith said he believes the local Irvington unit may be doing that go against the state and national charter.
“The NAACP does not endorse candidates,” he said. “They are prohibited from doing that, and all the stories I’ve read in the Irvington Herald about the stated reasons for organizing and holding these Community Conventions have said they were using the community forums as a way to pick candidates, and the NAACP is not allowed to do that. They are a non-partisan, non-political civil rights organization, I’m not against anybody exercising their right to assembly or organize, but the NAACP is not supposed to do that.”
Smith said he is a longtime member of the NAACP and even serves on the board of NJ Citizen Action, the citizen watchdog group, with James Harris, the state president of the NAACP. He said two weeks ago NJ Citizen Action endorsed his re-election bid, but Harris had to abstain from the endorsement vote because the NAACP does not do that.
“You can’t have it both ways,” Smith said. “I’m a member of the NAACP and I support the organization and Ms. Witcher can ask me to do anything related to the activities and issues that the organization is well-known and highly regarded for. I’m not a Johnny-come-lately, and I understand what the NAACP is all about and I can‘t sit by and watch individuals engage in actions apparently under its auspices that they are not supposed to be doing. “
The Feb. 22 convention that had been scheduled to be held at Christian Pentecostal Church, Smith’s church, was instead moved over to Greater New Point Church on Paine Avenue.
“The purpose of a convention is to hear from all the candidates and the general theme on Monday night was the need for change and making a difference,“ Witcher said. “Every candidate felt that was the basis for their candidacy. I think that some people may have gone to Clinton Avenue thinking that we would be there and did not redirect themselves back to Paine Avenue, because I was hard-pressed to get word of the change in venue out to interested people in the community after we had to rescheduled.”
Witcher said she felt Monday evening’s event went well. So well, in fact, that despite Team Irvington’s apparent boycotting of the event for the aforementioned reasons she said there is a fourth Community Convention scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. on March 11 at Second Reformed Church on the corner of Elmwood and Florence avenues.
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