by Jason Farr

Created on: February 24, 2009

Yes it should. I thought this years ago. Is the name more important than the concept? See it's the mentality thats being challenged here not the name. When I think of NAACP the first thing that comes to mind is old people who are out of touch with reality and don't know what we are struggling against today and what the struggle is about. Naturally they will make the same claim against the younger generation. However the bottom line is this, what is most important, the brand name of a product or the product itself? This is the major reason why young people feel alienated from the older folks because the focus of helping them become advanced is no longer the dominant driving force behind the organization and any challenge otherwise is knocked to the floor with the reasoning that we have done this for years and we are going to continue to do so even if we can't remember why we done it like this in the first place.

The same example is given in church when the older generation wants to continue doing things the way they use to be done for that time and age. Let me give a couple examples that will practically explain exactly what I mean. Why are candles still being burned in services? Candles were used for light, now that light bulbs have been invented it has been the tradition of the elders of not wanting to change that has kept candles in the church. Candles are no longer needed in today's time because we have another form of artificial light. Just like burning of incense, which was used to compensate for the funk of musty bodies. Now however we have running water and deodorant. But out of tradition incense is still being used during services. These examples are given primarily from an example perspective to illustrate the point with more clarification.

Furthermore, I no longer go by colored. I am Black and I prefer that over African-American and colored. If it really is about my advancement then the name should not make any difference, but it's the attitude of the older generation to hold on to things that have no relevance whatsoever to this generation. First off to change the name would cost money, which would take away from some of the old people who are now paid salary from NAACP. And it's not necessarily old people in general but that old way of thinking that is counterproductive to now. Obama used the Internet and many new ideas that were shunned by old heads but in the end those ideas proved to be effective which will now be used again till somebody else comes along and beats the system with new ideas. Things that were appropriate for yesterday are not necessarily okay for today or may not work for today in this different generation of doing things. And that my friend is the bottom line, change with the times or be forced to let the times change you.

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