NAACP Leadership Crisis: Blacks Have Never Had So Little and So Much

March 6, 2007 — -- Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are bringing new attention to civil rights and the country's lingering racial divide at a time when black Americans are seeing the best of times and the worst of times.

As the two Democratic candidates fiercely courted black voters in their bid for the White House in Selma, Ala., the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People announced the resignation of its president, Bruce L. Gordon, signaling a leadership rift in America's oldest and largest civil rights organization.

Gordon took the job in June 2005, in part to help repair relations between the NAACP and the Bush administration. But just 19 months later, the 61-year-old former Verizon executive said he stepped down because of differences with the board of directors over direction of the organization.

No surprise, say civil rights experts, as the political landscape has changed dramatically.

Bush's administration is out of favor and Republicans have lost their majority in Congress. A black man is running for president. And the Democratic Party -- riding anti-war sentiment -- is gaining momentum for a presidential win in 2008, putting the key black vote back in play.

The weekend events underscore these contradictory times for many black Americans: They've never had so little and so much. Hurricane Katrina exposed, in the minds of some, America's underbelly of racism and poverty. But observers also contend that never before have blacks enjoyed such political clout.

"Things are as good now as they've ever been," said David Bositis, senior analyst for The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, which supports research to improve the socioeconomic status of black Americans.

"You have a black governor in Massachusetts, a Congressional Black Caucus with many members in leadership positions," he said. "They have real power. On the other hand, the Bush presidency has been a catastrophe for blacks."