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Resolution

NAACP Reaffirms its Position on Charter Schools and Expresses Support for the NAACP Work Around the Country Including the New York, North Carolina, Missouri and Other State Conferences of Branches in their Efforts to Bring a Quality Education

WHEREAS, throughout our existence, the NAACP has fought for access to a high-quality public education for all children. For many years, we fought against segregation, rejecting the notion of "separate but equal"; and

WHEREAS, the NAACP remains vehemently opposed to any dual educational system which ensures a quality education for a fortunate few, at the expense of and the detriment to the vast majority of other public school children; and

WHEREAS, in 2010 the NAACP the NAACP passed a resolutions stating, in part, "that the NAACP rejects the emphasis on charter schools as the vanguard approach for the education of children, instead of focusing attention, funding, and policy advocacy on improving existing, low performing public schools and will work through local, state and federal legislative processes to ensure that all public schools are provided the necessary funding, support and autonomy necessary to educate all students"; and

WHEREAS, the New York State Conference of Branches of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and other groups filed a lawsuit in May 18, 2011 in Manhattan Supreme Court to stop the closing of 22 New York City public schools and block 17 charter schools from opening or expanding; and

WHEREAS, the fact that a smattering of minority students is included amongst the ranks of the charter schools privileged, does not deter the NAACP from its objective to promote the highest standard of education for all; and

WHEREAS, while the NAACP does not begrudge parents and children who are enrolled in charter schools, the organization cannot condone the marginalization of the masses in the process and lose sight of the bigger picture, which casts a much wider and fairer net to include the nation's most vulnerable families, and

WHEREAS, the lawsuit filed by the New York State Conference of the NAACP is of the significance of the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board, in as much as charter schools are a separate, private entity, funded with public dollars and often times housed in the same public buildings, but operating under a different and often unequal set of rules.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP reaffirms its 2010 Resolution on Charter Schools and commends the New York State Conference of NAACP Branches, the North Carolina State Conferences and Branches and others on their tenacity in standing for the rights of all parents and children by legally challenging their unjust public education system, funded by taxpayers dollars, to develop the fullest potential of all their students.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP stands unanimous in its support of the New York State Conference of NAACP Branches and its President Hazel Dukes, the North Carolina State Conference of NAACP Branches and its President Rev. Dr. William Barber and others for fighting for high quality public education for all public school students and will not be dissuaded by the vicious attempts to undermine their noble and continuous missions on behalf of America's students.

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