Saturday's Internet Edition, May 17, 2008.
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| State NAACP President Dr. William Barber speaks at the Masonic Picnic Saturday. - Photo by Mike Barnhardt |
But don’t think all he reads is the Bible. He reads books every day, and enjoys autobiographies, where he can get to know the people behind the headlines.
He told the 150 or so people gathered for the 123rd annual Masonic Picnic Saturday about the NAACP, of which he is the North Carolina president. He based his speech on the current book he is reading, “The Substance Of Things Hoped For.”
The NAACP was formed nearly 100 years ago when nearly one African-American was lynched every day in the United States.
“They believed America could be better. Right will win - I live by this principle. That’s the substance of things hoped for.
“We need you to be members,” he said. “If we did not have the NAACP, we would have to create it. I talk about the thousands of people we represent about the critical issues of our time. The NAACP is still fighting the good fight of faith ... until there is an end to discrimination.”
The Masons, Barber said, also believe in hope.
“Hope is not always easy. We hope for fairness, equality and equal opportunities. That’s all fair people have ever asked for - make the race fair.”
Barber has hope that North Carolina can reverse the 40 percent high school dropout rate.
“When children drop out of school, they drop into prison, they drop into low-paying jobs, they drop into poor health care.”
Some 40 million Americans don’t have health insurance - a travesty in one of the world’s most civilized countries.
In 2004, high school dropouts cost North Carolina taxpayers some $10 million in indigent health care, support for their families and in prisons. Barber said it would be better to put money into these people’s lives at a younger age to prevent the need for the spending later.
It shouldn’t matter where one lives as to the quality of education available to them.
“God didn’t ask children where ... subscribe to the Davie County Enterprise Record, P.O. Box 99, Mocksville, N.C. 27028.