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* Background is here if you need it. NAACP of Illinois…
Illinois State Conference President Teresa Haley offers a statement in response to a video excerpt disseminated by former DuPage County President Patrick Watson on Tuesday, December 12, 2023. Watson received an unprecedented and embarrassing “Vote Of No Confidence” by his Branch members on November 14, 2023. Illinois Branch Presidents met on December 13, 2023 and unanimously supported Haley’s quintessential leadership skills. Haley’s heartfelt sentiments are appended below:
“First and foremost, I express my sincere apologies to anyone who may have been hurt or offended by my comments. I love and value all members of our communities—including immigrants. I have worked tirelessly to advocate for the underserved and the voiceless. I remain focused on denouncing injustices, racism, and discrimination. I am empathetic to the plight of all people, and I proudly serve as a beacon of hope to the hopeless. I embrace the mission of the NAACP, which is to “Achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well- being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color.”
Quintessential, adj.
I’m guessing the AI alibi has been abandoned.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Welp…
A day after the Illinois NAACP met and "unanimously supported" statewide conference president Teresa Haley's "quintessential leadership skills," the conference announces she has been "suspended" in the wake of her controversial statements about migrants. #twill
— Dean Olsen (@DeanOlsenIT) December 15, 2023
*** UPDATE 2 *** From a national NAACP spokesperson…
The NAACP stands firm in our commitment to advancing racial justice and cultivating a society where human dignity is respected. As of December 13, NAACP Illinois State Conference President Teresa Haley has been suspended. As an internal matter, there will be no additional comment at this time. The NAACP will continue to foster an environment that is reflective of our mission and respective of our membership.
So, she was suspended on the 13th, but the board voted unanimously to support her on the 14th? Checking on that.
*** UPDATE 3 *** I asked for clarification on the dates from the national NAACP…
The notice of suspension from NAACP National was dated on December 13th.
…Adding… I asked ICIRR earlier today for a statement. This is from them and the Springfield Immigrant Advocacy Network…
The Springfield Immigrant Advocacy Network (SIAN) and our statewide coalition partner the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights reject the statements made by Illinois NAACP president Teresa Haley at a meeting in October, in which she referred to migrants in Chicago as criminals and “savages.”
Divisive rhetoric damages communities. It reinforces harmful stereotypes, which in turn hurt entire groups of people. True apologies must include strategies to begin dialogue, deliberate actions to repair relationships, and commitment to share accurate information. We don’t heal alone but in community. Our leaders need to work in solidarity to advocate and create better policies, and to make our cities better for all of us.
SIAN has worked diligently to advocate for immigrants and refugees who have arrived in Springfield within the last year, many of whom were originally sent to Chicago by bus from Texas. At SIAN, we know that the NAACP has a history of supporting immigrants and refugees in our country that we ought to honor and remember. We have worked with our NAACP siblings to fight injustice and racial profiling and to protect our immigrant youth, as we know most of our Illinois DACA recipients and migrants applying for asylum and refugee status are people of color coming mostly from the Global South.
We should not be calling groups of people rapists, inciting fear at migrants’ arrival, and calling cities to refuse Venezuelans seeking shelter happens when we still must contend with the supremacist, structural values of scarcity, silo-planning and thinking, and the predicament that marginalized communities must fight each other for a tiny piece of a pie. We know that immigrants, refugees, and other historically excluded communities live together at the margins. We have shared spaces and built families together while fighting injustice, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and oppression. When we lift one group, when we support and elevate communities, we must also lift up our neighbors and other marginalized peoples.
SIAN serves immigrants and refugees, children and families, who have come to Illinois after surviving life-threatening living conditions as well as environmental, economic, and political turmoil. In a welcoming state like Illinois, we encourage our organizations, leaders, and institutions to serve immigrants and refugees with compassion, understanding, respect, and attention to the many intersections of being and experience of marginalization our communities encounter.
We need to understand and identify a manufactured crisis when we see it. This moment of Illinois being targeted for our welcoming values is a perfect example of how oppression works against immigrants and people of color. When the humanity, safety, and survival of children and families are at stake, we need to stop seeing ‘us’ versus ‘them.’ We instead need to see communities as whole, fully human, deserving of our respect and assistance–and our policies have to reflect this. We hope that our historical partners at NAACP chapters across the state join us in this analysis as we strive to move forward together.
*** UPDATE 4 *** OK, this is getting weird…
NAACP Illinois State Conference
President Teresa Haley will hold a Press Conference on Saturday, December 16, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the NAACP’s Office:
801 South 11th Street
Springfield, Illinois 62703The media is invited to attend, arriving no earlier than 10:45 a.m. Thank you.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Press release from the state council…
Effective 8:10 p.m., President Teresa Haley’s Press Conference is cancelled, in accordance with the recent request from the National NAACP Office. Ms. Haley stands by her heartfelt apology and will not provide any further comments at this juncture.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Dec 14, 23 @ 7:19 pm
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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=== Watson received an unprecedented and embarrassing “Vote Of No Confidence” ===
Not sure this crew is qualified to judge what is and is not “embarrassing.”
Comment by vern Thursday, Dec 14, 23 @ 7:25 pm
That’s the first envelope. Question is if she has 2 or 3 envelopes.
Comment by Anyone Remember Thursday, Dec 14, 23 @ 7:27 pm
Whatever that statement was, it wasn’t an apology. There’s no acknowledgement of wrongdoing.
Comment by Keyrock Thursday, Dec 14, 23 @ 7:29 pm
Smearing the leaker and then offering a classic non-apology? Pretty repulsive
Comment by Emanuel Collective Thursday, Dec 14, 23 @ 7:30 pm
shocking. disturbing. they all support her? allows for any kind of statement to come out of the mouth of someone in authority or otherwise and say my bad and move on. as if nothing happened. the damage is done. to relationships. to the image of Black community leaders who were supposedly main stream. sickening.
Comment by Amalia Thursday, Dec 14, 23 @ 7:42 pm
NAACP to the governing boards of Harvard and M.I.T.: “hold our beer”
Comment by lake county democrat Thursday, Dec 14, 23 @ 8:38 pm
Well at least she apologized to anyone who may have been hurt or offended /s The bar has been lowered to non existence over the last 20 years And I guess things sayings come back to haunt you and as long as I am all clichéd up What is sauce for the goose isw sauce for the gander
Comment by DuPage Saint Thursday, Dec 14, 23 @ 8:38 pm
=== Well at least she apologized ===
That isn’t an apology, its an expression of regret.
Like “I’m sorry for your loss” or “I’m sorry you feel that way” or “I’m sorry you’re so sensitive.”
Blaming your words or comments, is also a classic dodge. Like if she had just found the right words to convey her feelings about migrants, it all would have been okay.
Comment by Thomas Paine Thursday, Dec 14, 23 @ 11:06 pm
===That isn’t an apology, its an expression of regret.===
Paine you missed DuPage Saint’s snark reference after their post. See the /s reference
Comment by Been There Thursday, Dec 14, 23 @ 11:14 pm
Patrick Watson is a responsible, knowledgeable, honest and forward looking advocate. He’s been an effective organizer and campaigner in this region for years. When the organization abandons him, they are abandoning their own credibility and mission.
Comment by walker Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 7:10 am
This is what happens when chat GPT writes for you
Comment by Rabid Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 8:39 am
We need to start calling out non apologies. Just once, I want to hear, “I take responsibility for my actions. I am sorry. Please give me an opportunity to be better.”
Comment by NIref Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 10:05 am
=Smearing the leaker and then offering a classic non-apology? Pretty repulsive=
Yep. We hammer the right/maga crowd pretty good for this kind of thing, the NAACP is just as bad with this stuff. They undermine a pretty significant legacy of fighting racism with this.
Bigots in any from are repulsive.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 10:18 am
If the NCAA Board does not understand the damage they have done to their credibility they will. This will keep coming back. It cannot be undone.
Comment by levivotedforjudy Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 10:27 am
Contrition is required for a sincere apology. That’s not what this is.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 10:29 am
==I love and value all members of our communities—including immigrants.==
Love and value? After what she called immigrants. What a hypocrite and a sad example of leadership.
Comment by don the legend Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 10:30 am
When Haley keynoted an event I attended, she started off by mocking the local NAACP branch’s Image Awards that they had given out earlier in the evening to local businesses and community leaders. The local awards given out by our branch were named after the national awards given out by the NAACP.
Hayley started her keynote remarks by saying, “If you guys want to see what a REAL NCAACP Image Award looks like, I brought mine.” and she proceed to plunk the national award she got in 2020 down on the podium and then launched into her speech.
Super classy.
Comment by sulla Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 11:23 am
=== I express my sincere apologies to anyone who may have been hurt or offended by my comments. ==
I was offended, but your primary apology need not be directed to those you secondarily offended. Your primary apology must be directed to those you directed you hatred toward.
You called immigrants rapists. Apologize for that specifically, and do so directly to the asylum seekers and immigrants. Then do the same to the Mexican American community, which has been similar and repeatedly attacked with these words.
Acknowledging your sins is the primary characteristic of an apology. Repent properly.
Comment by H-W Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 11:27 am
@ Anyone Remember
We can only hope there is a second and third envelope given the absence of empathy in this statement. This statement is all about Haley (who serves the Board). That Board clearly approves her expression of hatred in the absence of a direct apology by the Board for its President’s expression of racism.
Comment by H-W Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 11:35 am
UPDATE: Welp,
Next update: Haley resigns.
Comment by don the legend Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 12:02 pm
Just a tip for anyone in comms.
When you’re apologizing for something don’t tell them you’re sorry that they feel offended. Say you’re sorry for your offensive remarks. Own it.
Comment by twowaystreet Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 12:21 pm
Haley is now just one of the problems for the Illinois NAACP. We still need answers on why the “Illinois Branch Presidents unanimously supported Haley’s quintessential leadership skills” last night. The fact that they decided to release such a tone-deaf statement, then reversed course today (why? Did they hear from angry foundations that donate to the NAACP?) raises a lot of questions about the judgment of these branch presidents.
Comment by Patti Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 12:46 pm
Quintessentially suspended for comments perfectly typical or representative of a particular kind of person.
Comment by PublicServant Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 12:58 pm
To The Update:
Was the unanimous vote in support on December 13th a fabrication, or was Haley the only one present? smh
If the IL NAACP had a 180 degree change-of-heart, that was a record speed turn.
The Illinois NAACP doesnt have millions of dollars, or hundreds of thousands of grassroots members, or the ability to organize and mobilize like a labor union or church.
Their best asset is their brand, but that brand is only as powerful as the desire of political and corporate leaders to be associated with it, and the organization’s leverage is its willingness to use their brand as leverage to extract policy.
Simply put, the Illinois NAACP doesn’t have much left in its arsenal if the governor and other elected leaders or corporate leaders don’t want to be on the same stage or in the same press release as its president.
I think the governor made his feelings very clear, and her being from Springfield I am sure that there is pressure mounting locally.
Comment by Thomas Paine Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 1:00 pm
As an aside: it takes a special kinda person to declare themselves a beacon of hope for others.
Comment by Thomas Paine Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 1:07 pm
==I express my sincere apologies to anyone who may have been hurt or offended by my comments.==
Ah, there it is, the phrase that pays.
UPDATE: whoops not anymore
Comment by Roadrager Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 1:32 pm
So, did the National org suspend her and the State org defend her?
Either way I echo Walker’s statements about Watson. He always seemed like a good organizer and nice man to me.
Comment by JJJJJJJJJJ Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 1:36 pm
The timeline and players are getting very confusing here. Can someone explain who to which actions, and when? Was it the Illinois Council that voted unanimous support and were then overruled by the National Organization? Was the Illinois Board confidence vote an attempt by Haley to push back against National pressure?
I don’t mean to sound dense, but I would love some more clarity on what is going on.
Comment by SpiDem Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 1:42 pm
Let’s be careful as to how we react. There are excellent local branches of the NAACP in Illinois who really care & do great things.
I am personally grateful to ours. Years ago we decided to have school (we were/are a very diverse district) on MLK Day & to truly make it an educational experience. We met with the local NAACP representatives, they sincerely gave us a chance, attended - and it was successful in everyone’s eyes. Back then, many would have criticized us for having school, but it then allowed us to do similar things on Veterans Day soon after - our staff was praised in our community for their efforts. What national group hasn’t had its issues now & then?
Comment by Interim Retiree Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 2:20 pm
It’s sad how the lack of knowledge of true World History has divided our county. It’s disappointing that the IL NAACP board doesn’t recognize the history and struggle of of Blacks and Afro Latinos in our country. First of all, they also talking about Haitians. Which many forget Haiti is not only a Latin American country, but was THE FIRST one to liberate themselves from the Europeans. As a Latina, I am proud of my Haitians hermanos/hermana. They paved the way. But because of colorism/racism many do not identify as Latino. I don’t blame them. That is their choice.
There were also slaves all across Mexico that the Spaniards brought over. Mexico had to defeat the spaniards to become a country and fought alongside Black slaves. Many Black slaves also escaped America when Mexico freed their slaves and fought side by side with Mexicanos AGAINST America.
Actually Cinco de Mayo is A BLACK HOLIDAY! There are 1.5M Black Mexicanos right now. So tacos are your food mi gente. But American history & political systems have benefited off our division and forced miseducation. I’ve seen the impact of exclusion of Afro Latinos from the Black and Latino communities here in Chicago. Things have to change. The truth is we are already part of each others familias whether we like it or not. NO ONE ELSE has that significant power dynamic.
Her comments are dangerous, offensive not only to Latino but perpetuates the division and discrimination of light skinned and dark skinned Latinos from African descent. Immigrations is a hot topic, but it can’t change history. Let’s learn from it. This was poorly mishandled all around. It may be time to replace the entire board and just start fresh.
Comment by Leslie Dimas Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 2:27 pm
=== As of December 13, NAACP Illinois State Conference President Teresa Haley has been suspended. As an internal matter, there will be no additional comment at this time. ===
Very internal, apparently. I wonder when anyone from the National, State, or local branches in Illinois is going to inform us Illinois members.
Triple checking and… nope, not even an e-mail. Nothing in the spam folder… nope…
Comment by Glock21 Friday, Dec 15, 23 @ 3:10 pm