NAACP introduces new leaders to South Bend

SOUTH BEND, Ind. --  Some new leaders are taking over at the local chapter of the NAACP.

The organization's new board was introduced to the community during a meeting Saturday.

Saturday morning was a cold day but that didn't stop the NAACP from being a packed house as community members and people running for elected office filled the meeting.

They introduced the new board to the public but they also talked about issues that South Bend is facing such as South Bend schools and housing.

The South Bend local chapter of the NAACP has been in the community for the past 100 years and they don't plan on slowing down.

Claps welcomed the new board as the chapter's president Michael Patton says he made sure this group of people was filled with men and women who are already working hard in the community.

Jeanette McCullough, who retired from the South Bend Community School Corporation, introduced a new group joining the NAACP called ACTSO, which stands for African Academic Cultural Technology and Scientific Olympics.

It is a yearlong achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate, and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students.

"What we need to do is collaborate with the school system and try to find ways to help them come up with programs to make sure children will not be in the predicament they are in now. We attend school boards to make sure that we are out about in the community but I think if we collaborate with the school system I think we can help them work through issues that they are having," McCullough said.

South Bend Schools is currently in a crunch trying to transform its district, especially the "F" schools with special attention to Navarre.

Along with the new group, the NAACP wants to help out with the South Bend housing issues.

Second Vice President of the NAACP Robert Smith broke down how the NAACP can help.

"What you want is the same quality of housing you don't want a local or standard of housing meaning lowering building material use, you want the same material use but you have to have cost subsidized by the government and theirs plenty of tax money just to subsidized housing," Smith said.

The NAACP will be holding its next meeting on Thursday at 5:30 p.m at the Colfax Cultural Center. They are always looking for new members.