All members of the Fredericksburg Branch NAACP are invited to join us during the live-streaming of the SURPRISE announcement of the Branch’s Marguerite B. Young Excellence in Education Awards Program on Wednesday, October 6 at 5:30 p.m. The program will recognize and reward individual faculty and staff members of Fredericksburg City Public Schools (FCPS) for excellence and dedicated service – major attributes of Mrs. Young.
Today will be remembered as a day when justice was served. Derek Chauvin was found guilty on the counts of murder and manslaughter of George Floyd. The Fredericksburg NAACP rejoices and is hopeful with this verdict.
Earlier this week our community recognized the 70th anniversary of the very brave actions of the all-black Walker-Grant High School class of 1950, which was denied the opportunity to walk through the front doors of the Fredericksburg Community Center for their graduation ceremony. Instead of entering through the back door, they held Fredericksburg’s first civil rights protest at the Community Center with the support of the Fredericksburg Branch NAACP and marched nonviolently in their caps and gowns downtown to the Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site) where they chose to hold their commencement ceremony.
Our communities are frustrated and saddened. As our country and local communities struggle with our responses to the shocking tragic murder of George Floyd by police and other actions of brutality against persons of color over the years, we are proud of much of the nation’s peaceful responses and calls to action.
On December 16, 2019, the Fredericksburg Branch of the NAACP issued its position statement concerning the lawsuit filed on December 10, 2019 against Fredericksburg City Council. In its position statement, the NAACP supports the actions of City Council to move the Slave Auction Block to the Fredericksburg Area Museum, and finds the lawsuit to be ill-conceived, short-sighted, and contrary to legitimate interests of the NAACP and the citizens of the City of Fredericksburg; and, moreover, finds it offensive that Petitioners seek to profit from the vestiges of slavery.
On December 10, 2019, a lawsuit was filed against City Council. The Lawsuit seeks to prevent the City from moving the slave auction block to the Fredericksburg Area Museum. The Fredericksburg Branch of the NAACP encourages all NAACP members to refrain from doing business with the “Olde Towne Butcher” and “The Butcher’s Table”.