The Hopkinsville-Christian County Branch of the NAACP is preparing for its election of local officers on Monday, Nov. 16, and the coronavirus pandemic has prompted options for social distancing in the process.
Members in good standing have two options to vote, said Willie Canty of the chapter’s election supervisory committee.
(Facebook photos)
They may vote electronically using a Google form that members will receive in an email from the branch secretary. Members who respond to the email will receive an “access to voting” link, which in turn pulls up a ballot. Electronic voting will end at noon on the day of the election.
Members who prefer to vote in person may use a drive-up/drop off option from 1 to 6 p.m. at Taylor Funeral Home, 202 S. Campbell St.
Canty said he wasn’t authorized to provide a list of the candidates; however, on Saturday another member posted the slate in a Facebook group.
According to that list, the candidates are:
- President: Kenneth Bates and John Banks
- 1st Vice President: Darius Knott
- 3rd Vice President: Terri Redwine and Thomas Grant
- Secretary: Markeeta Wilkerson
- Treasurer: Natasha Francis
- Assistant Treasurer: Donna Johnson
Banks, a retired U.S. Postal Service employee, has represented the local chapter as its president for more than 20 years. Bates is a former Christian County magistrate. He is the first person to officially challenge Banks for the post since at the least the early 2000s, when the chapter apparently last had an election. The Kentucky New Era reported in late September that this year’s election would be the first since 2002.
The National Association of the Advancement of Colored People, a civil rights organization, was established in 1909 in response to violence against Black Americans. The local chapter was established in 1919.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
