NAACP Realigns Priorities To Meet The Needs Of The Community

The Seattle King County Branch of the NAACP, under President Sadiqa Sakin, who took office January 1, 2019, announced the chapter’s realignment of their priorities with the needs of the community. The organization said that it is prioritizing critical policy, advocacy and social justice work needed to ensure the rights of all people.

NAACP President-elect Sadiqa Sakin

According to a release, one of the NAACP’s most crucial community engagements in 2019 is fair housing.

“The greater Seattle King County area housing market is still flourishing, but most working- and middle-class families struggle with fair and affordable housing,” said the release. “With housing prices up, that drives the working and middle classes, and specifically people of color, out of the city and closer to poverty and homelessness. The Seattle King County NAACP’s Housing Committee has been meeting with local legislators over tenant/landlord laws and initiatives in affordable and fair housing.”

In addition, the organization said that their new administration is focusing on community race relations, including building relationships with local organizations and emphasizing the importance of diversity trainings.

Most recently the organization has been working with Issaquah School District Superintendent, Dr. Ron Thiele, after a racist photo a student posted went viral in April.

The organization also says that they “are at the forefront of calling for police accountability in incidents where it appears the victim(s) will not receive a fair review; the NAACP was the first organization calling for an independent investigation of the SPD shooting death of Iosia Fatelogo in January of this year.”

In the release, the organization also emphasized that the NAACP is a volunteer organization that relies on donations and volunteer hours to make the branch “effective and powerful.”

“We acknowledge, most importantly, that our NAACP membership is the driving force of our continued success in the community,” stated the release. “Our membership this year has gone up a spectacular 250%, and we thank each member for being a part of the community and encourage others to join! Our Board is made up of volunteers only; our membership is our life blood as well as our direct lifeline to the community.”