NAACP

Two news stories this week point to "old school" political organizations with storied, successful histories, struggling to reconnect with young voters in an attempt to rejuvenate their membership and their political relevance.

Ralph Reed Will Start "Hipper" Christian Coalition

After years of scandal and political defeats, Ralph Reed wants a new start and is creating a new advocacy group called the Faith and Freedom Coalition, reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Said Reed: "This is not going to be your daddy's Christian Coalition. It has to be younger, hipper, less strident, more inclusive and it has to harness the 21st century that will enable us to win in the future... It's the political analog to the iPod and the iPhone. It would be cool. It would be transformative. It would transform our politics and bring younger people to our ranks. All of those are critical imperatives."

100 Years Old, NAACP Sees Resurgence of Youth Activism

First founded a century ago as the National Negro Committee, today's National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is sometimes regarded as an organization with graying members and obsolete ideas, out of step with new challenges facing the Black community. The average age of a member is between 50 and 55.

But as the nation's oldest civil rights organization celebrates its centennial, NAACP officials are reporting a resurgence of youth activism, even as it continues to field questions about its relevancy in the post-civil rights era.

Advanced registration numbers for the convention are a record 2,400, and the number of attendees under the age of 25 is "significantly higher" than it was last year, according to Stefanie Brown, who oversees the organization's Youth and College Division.

It's going to be interesting watching to see how both of these organizations (well, in the case of Reed I guess he means to start a new organization) fare in reaching out to Millennials to become relevant political players once more. Personally, I have my doubts that either can be successful.

With regard to Reed and his "Christian Coalition 2.0," I just dont' think he's going to be willing to bend far enough on culture war issues to really make headway among more than a tiny fraction of Millennials who are really just low-hanging fruit for his movement.

As for the NAACP, this excellent post from Jack and Jill Politics does a better job than I ever could outlining why the organization is going to have a hard time revitalizing itself in a new media environment: The NAACP Doesn't Care About Black People.

I highly recommend that everyone read these first two links.

• Over at Open Left, 21st Century Democrats has an excellent post describing the drop off in turnout between the Presidential contest and down ballot races in key states. This is an excellent argument as to why Obama can't do this alone. He needs outside groups complimenting his ground game and promoting those down ballot races.
• In a preview from this Sunday's New York Times Magazine, Matt Bai analyzes the generational rift between new black politicians like Obama and Newark Mayor Cory Booker, and the old guard civil rights leaders like John Lewis and James Clyburn. The piece also touches on the rift at the institutional level between the NAACP and new players like Color of Change. It's a must read for those trying to get a handle on the new political landscape.
• CQ Politics has a lengthy and fascinating (if geeky) look at why 2008 is a particularly difficult year for pollsters.
• Of late Rock the Vote is championing veterans' voting rights. Heather Smith blogs about their latest campaign at the Huffington Post.
• Conservative Young America's Foundation still won't let reps from Campus Progress attend their conference (despite CP gladly admitting YAF alumns). Read the drama here.
• Confusing reports on the attitude of teenagers (13 - 19) on the direction of the country from a survey out of Medill.
• New Majority, a group out of Virginia, is planning on targeting local youth and Latinos.
• In Kentucky, Democrats are increasing their share of the electorate, thanks mainly to an influx of young voters.

This is cool:

The NAACP has chosen Ben Jealous as its new president after a contentious debate that lasted long into the night, members of its board of directors said Saturday.

Jealous, 35, will be the youngest president in the NAACP's 99-year history, The Associated Press reported.

When the 34-21 vote was announced, "no one clapped or celebrated," one board member said after the meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.

Jealous was the only finalist presented by the search committee to the full board for consideration. Some board members wanted to hear from two others whom the search committee identified as finalists, but Jealous' supporters prevented it, sources said.

Looks like Jealous might have a tough time of it. There's a big split in the racial justice community between the civil rights generation, the Hip Hop Generation (roughly Gen Xers), and Millennials. Most of the younger folks see the older generation as clinging on to power for too long, and their institutions more involved in maintaining their own status and political clout than adapting to the new era. The older folks, conversely, think that the younger generations are insufficiently steeped in the tactics and rhetoric of civil rights and not fully appreciative of the struggles of the civil rights generation.

Most older civil rights groups - like NAACP - have an aging membership base. The NAACP has made some efforts to reach youth - including partnering with the Hip Hop Summit Action Network - but my understanding is that this has not been entirely effective in rejuvenating their membership. Consequently, new organizations like Color of Change, the Hip Hop Caucus, and the Ella Baker Center have rushed in to fill that gap and organize younger people of color.

Perhaps Jealous's election to the head of the NAACP can help heal that split and modernize the organization . . .