CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — There is a new leader who will soon take over the local chapter of the N.A.A.C.P.
For the first time in over a decade, members elected someone new to lead that civil rights organization.
Corpus Christi native Jeremy Coleman will officially become the group's president later this month.
Coleman has been a lifelong member of the N.A.A.C.P. and ran for the position once before. Currently he serves as a commissioner for the city of Corpus Christi's human relations, he's on the Women's and Men's Health Clinic board of directors and he has a long history of civil rights activism.
"Been here all my life, graduated from King High School, attend church at St. John on Greenwood where I got a lot of my leadership development from there. Now I have arrived in this wonderful position," Coleman told 3 News.
Coleman said his passion has always been serving the community and that his decision to run for the president position was motivated by what he was seeing nationwide following the death of George Floyd.
"And just reading about a lot of disparity, things that were going on, not necessarily in our city, there was a fire lit up in me," said Coleman.
Here locally, he does believe the community has a strong relationship with law enforcement and wants to help continue that effort.
"I do believe we have a great working city government here in Corpus Christi and I think our police force and sheriffs are doing a great job with building community relations," said Coleman.
Coleman wants to move the organization forward in a positive way and said the foundation has already been set.
One goal close to his heart, is motivating African Americans in the community to serve more leadership roles.
"I've made no secret about it, even before I took this on. I really want there to be more black representation on our city council, our city government, but that requires vetting individuals who are willing to do it, involved in community service and that's part of our political action committee of the N.A.A.C.P. that I plan on charging them to really do and move forward," said Coleman.
Coleman said he is looking forward to serving his role as president for the organization and said while the organization has changed over the last 100 years, its core value remains the same.
"To moving to civil rights in the 50s and 60s with the boycots that happened and now we're in a completely new era, but the principals, the foundation N.A.A.C.P. stands for is still there, that's just advancing, making for sure, there is equality all the way across, and we achieve that one, accepting change. that's got to happen. We make a commitment to the community, serving the community, and being prepared to help out people," said Coleman.
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