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History of the University of Michigan Chapter
While interning in a Congressional office in Washington DC during the summer of 2002 after his freshman year at UM, Ravi Perry recalled the lack of a "black" experience in respect to sociopolitical activism. Knowing the Black Student Union was a pan-Africanist organization with a more "militant" reputation nationwide and on campus, he sought to give all students a venue to participate in effectual change in the sociopolitical context through the NAACP. Why the NAACP? For starters, the organization brought with it a name that is recognized beyond the scope of many social justice organizations. Secondly, the NAACP has a non-partisan approach and litigation tactics. Also, this organization has a specific American context and has the potential to reach across the aisle racially and in terms of religious issues, given its diverse founding history, than many organizations of the like.
In order to begin the campus chapter, Perry contacted the Michigan NAACP Youth and College Division for Region III under the direction of Ernest Coverson, and through conversations with him and Shy Averett, then-President of the Youth and College Division for the State of Michigan NAACP, Perry gathered the appropriate forms to establish the organization. After contacting the officials at the state level, Perry invited personal friends to sign the necessary forms in MSA and to create the NAACP as an official student group on campus.
Once the organization was made official by the state chapter and the campus as well, minority student leaders were invited to discuss the logistics of how the campus chapter should be run and who would run it. These minority student leaders and other interested parties met in Markeley Residence Hall (through the kindness of minority student leaders who had access to the space) to discuss the aforementioned issues of the newly starting chapter. After many meetings, some things had become official for future policy and some things were pushed away.
Following the sequence of meetings discussing process, 25 necessary signatures and $10 membership fees were gathered with the help of a close group of friends and Perry. In order to recruit new members to the organization once everything was set into place, the new chapter tabled at Festifall with the Black Student Union, who allowed the fresh chapter to share their space at the event.
E-board and executive board elections for officers were held in October under the direction of Shy and Ernest, in which Perry and colleague, Erin Hendrix ran for the office of chapter President. The results came to show that Erin Hendrix won the office of Presidency and Perry continued to be active and support the group that he had so adamantly pushed to bring back to campus. After the board leadership had been elected, the organization was ready to go and began having regular meetings soon thereafter.
The first meetings dealt with more formalities, of our relationship with BSU and other campus organizations that we would need to be in contact with, as well as the structure of the national NAACP and how it works. As the organization grew, much dialogue was exchanged and plans of actions were being set in place for the future. Perry, as a proud member and founder of the campus chapter, put much attention on new members. Perry stated that with his focus on the NAACP slogan "Membership is the Lifeblood . . .," and his leadership as Membership Chair, he unofficially helped the chapter to "become the largest active college chapter for the 2002-2003 school year with over 100 members."