Sankofa - Releasing Our Internal Free Bird

During the 7 days of Kwanzaa, I am always reminded of a key symbol in the tradition of Ghana in West Africa and that is the symbol of a bird looking back. This symbol represents Sankofa. Sankofa relates to a African proverb that translates into: "It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten." 
- I am always inspired by the Sankofa symbol because we must revisit our past in order to build a strong future. 

Many Maryland NAACP members answered the call to be organizers for the Maryland State Conference (MSC) Executive Committee. I want to thank each of them for agreeing to serve and for the work that we will all do in the future to make the NAACP strong. It will be a lot of work but it will be worth building in order to serve the State of Maryland and future of the MSC.

Recently, one of our members Corneilius "Chappy" Scott died before he could serve the Maryland State Conference. He had served at the Branch level with Harford County with the Youth Council there and used that position to inspire and motivate young people. He leveraged all of his relationships from youth sports, his professional career as a lobbyist, his fraternity and his God given personality and instinct as an organizer to contribute to the uplift of the Youth of Harford County. When he left the Branch, he went on to be the founder of the African American Democrats of Harford County and had the ambition to help establish Mothers of Murdered Sons and Daughters (MOM) and also founded the Family Survivor Network. Above all, he was an organizer who learned to connect many pieces to achieve bringing people together to serve the community. Another example of organizing is being able to allow the many pieces to be in place for others to pick up and connect. He did that too! 

Corneilius and I talked so many times about how we would serve the MSC. He and I crafted the concept of the special committee on "Male Commitment" for the purpose of influencing answers to the rising homicide rate among African-American men. This is work that will continue and will be for us to achieve from here.  

Let Corneilius' work be a reminder of what we have before us. We must always be committed organizers, focused on the uplift of ordinary people and work to leverage our resources to build at the local Branch, MSC for the support of the National organization. In the end, we are all one. 

We must look back to build up. This is our Charge. 

Willie Flowers 
President 
NAACP - Maryland State Conference 

The Charge - "To serve the present age. My calling to fulfill."