The Seattle King County NAACP formally introduced their new president, Sadiqa Sakin, and new board to the community last Friday at their first public event under their new administration, which took office in January.
Seattle King County NAACP President Sadiqa Sakin addresses the audience at a mixer held by the branch last Friday in Seattle. Photo/Chris B. Bennett.
The event, which drew a large and diverse crowd – including King County Executive Dow Constantine, State Rep. Debra Entenman, and Federal Way City Councilmember Jessie Johnson — featured NAACP National President Derrick Johnson, and Karen Boykin-Towns, Vice Chair of the NAACP National Board.
Boykin-Towns in her address to the audience talked about how impressed she was with the way this new administration has hit the ground running and what they’ve been able to accomplish in a short period of time.
“There are many [Branch] presidents around this country who do not get the [NAACP national board] vice chair and the [national] president [to attend a local NAACP event], and for this young woman to have us here and she has not been in office three months – she’s a boss,” says Boykin-Towns.
“I’m so proud of her and her leadership team,” added Boykin-Towns. “We [the national NAACP] are only as good as the work that you do here on the ground, and I have every confidence being here and talking to her [Sakin] that we’ve only scratched the surface of what will be happening in this great city based on the leadership that you all have here.”
During her address, Sakin talked about the need for action on both a local and national level.
“I’m here to talk about the crisis in our state, with a budget that is funded by a regressive sales tax, a ban on affirmative action in public contracting, employment and education, and a history of failing to hold law enforcement accountable for unlawful uses of deadly force,” said Sakin. “I’m here to talk about a crisis in our city, which accommodates several of the most successful and powerful corporations in the world, but still cannot provide adequate housing for thousands of its long-time residents, or adequately fund public education.”
“I am here to talk about the need for action in a time of crisis. Crisis in our country, with a President who embraces white supremacists, demonizes immigrants of color, and pursues economic policies that only benefit the very wealthiest Americans,” added Sakin.
Sakin went on to outline the things that must be done in order to move the country forward.
At a national level, she said we must mobilize to protect the human rights of undocumented migrants, demand economic policies that provide healthcare and a living wage for all Americans, and demonstrate for national polices to reduce gun violence.
At a state level, she said we must mobilize to reform of our regressive tax system, demand that the Legislature pass I-1000 during its current session, and mandate independent criminal investigations of police involved shootings that are supervised by the State Attorney General’s office.
And at a local level, Sakin said we must demand that major corporations pay their fair share in taxes, and require that those tax revenues be used to address homelessness and the needs of the Seattle Public School District.
The issues facing Seattle, like other major cities, are not unsolvable,” said Sakin. “They will require courage, and hope, along with a conviction to refuse to accept anything less than full equality.
“In my leadership capacity, I seek to transform our concept of what we are capable of accomplishing together, she added. “The NAACP has long been the nucleus of our community and I am committed to doing whatever we need to maintain a central place. A place where people are heard. A place where people are trusted. A place that reveres the past while advancing toward the future. A place of honor and action, fueled by the energy from courage, hope and a refusal to accept inequality.”
NAACP President Derrick Johnson agrees and believes that the Seattle King County branch has the potential to be a branch that can be looked upon as a great example for others branches to follow, and improve the effectiveness of the NAACP as a whole.
“All movements start from the bottom up,” said Johnson in an interview with The Seattle Medium. “Very few movements start from the top down, that’s why it’s important that this branch enter into this new era with the level of enthusiasm that I’ve seen [within this branch].”
“They [The Seattle King County Branch] could set a model of what’s possible nationally, but it has to happen in communities like here in Seattle with individuals who are willing to offer themselves up to ensure that there is a voice for the voiceless, and there is energy around proactive policies to create a type of community that we all would like to see.”
This year marks the 110th anniversary of the founding of the national NAACP. The Seattle Branch, founded in 1913, was the first civil rights organization founded in the City of Seattle, and, according to Sakin, is the largest and most influential chapter west of the Mississippi River.
Something that she and her board hopes to continue and expand upon during her administration.
“One hundred six years is how long we have been in the struggle,” said Sakin of the local branch. “A Luta continua – the struggle continues and we will continue to be your servants on the battlefield.”
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