The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.
VISION STATEMENT:
The vision of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights and there is no racial hatred or racial discrimination.
OBJECTIVES:
The following statement of objectives is found on the first page of the NAACP Constitution - the principal objectives of the Association shall be:
• To ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all citizens
• To achieve equality of rights and eliminate race prejudice among the citizens of the United States
• To remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes
• To seek enactment and enforcement of federal, state, and local laws securing civil rights
• To inform the public of the adverse effects of racial discrimination and to seek its elimination
• To educate persons as to their constitutional rights and to take all lawful action to secure the exercise thereof, and to take any other lawful action in furtherance of these objectives, consistent with the NAACP's Articles of Incorporation and this Constitution.
This author would therefore respectfully suggest to the very well respected and experienced NAACP Chairman, Mr. Julian Bond, that the NAACP add clarity to its purpose and the community it seeks to serve. Has it evolved to include "all" people, basically becoming "race neutral" or rather "racial indifference", as the site seemingly suggests? If so, the site should discuss when that direction changed and why. If its focus is still solely on African Americans, then it should proudly say so in these key organization statements.
In other words Mr. Bond, both have extraordinary merit. That is whether the organization solely supports the civil rights of African Americans or as the Mission Statement currently suggests, evolved to support the civil rights of ALL people. The other theme "to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination" of course remains meritoriously consistent in either case.
The suggestion to you then Mr. Bond, is to add some clarity and then with that, change your brand name accordingly to move from the past to reflect the now and future. The Author offers a few ideas below for consideration depending on the clarified intent of the organization, to help that move forward.
Here then are two leading "brand acronyms and related brand names", one a major global company and one a major social responsibility organization, where each totally miss the mark. One championing a diverse product line, while the other effectively diversity (and inclusion) as respects its members and their futures. Each aggressively advancing either 21st century technology or cause, yet strikingly regress to a branding message that is dated and irrelevant and in the NAACP case, inherently disrespectful too, the current "C" name being a horrible relic from the past.
Why do GE and the NAACP continue these dated and dead branding legacies in one of if not their most important asset – brand name/image? Quite frankly, this author hasn't a clue. There seems no rational, pertinent reason for either.
What this Author can offer however, is a rational recommendation to the leadership of both entities to immediately dump their current branding "names" and embrace the following "time relevant" suggestions. In doing so, continues the relevance of the "GE" acronym (logo) and a consideration to changing the "NAACP" acronym, depending on Mr. Bond's clarified organization direction and new name chosen:
GE:
Keep the core logo "script GE" by:
Dropping "Electric" and in it place, substituting "Enterprises".
The new messaging being GE is no longer lighting and appliances. Rather a diverse, multi-national conglomerate, comprising a myriad of 200 or so business unit "enterprises". Or stated differently, "Enterprises R Us":
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