Struggle to remove local NAACP president grips monthly meeting

By Arthur E. Foulkes
The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE July 21, 2008 11:56 pm

— An internal struggle to remove the current president of the Greater Terre Haute branch of the NAACP rose to the surface Monday night at the organization’s monthly meeting in the Vigo County Public Library.
Last year, more than 30 members of the local branch signed a formal complaint against branch president A. Theressa Bynum. The complaint, which asked that Bynum be suspended from the NAACP pending an investigation, was submitted to the NAACP’s national headquarters in Baltimore. Discussion of the complaint arose at the local branch meeting Monday night when members of the local group who attended the NAACP’s national convention last week in Cincinnati gave reports to the approximately 35 people at the local branch meeting.
The national NAACP board of directors considered the formal complaint and approved sanctions against Bynum, said Mae Turner White, treasurer of the local NAACP branch and a voting delegate at the national convention. Sanctions approved by the 64-member board include plans for a complete audit of the local branch, White said. The national board also voted that Bynum and members of the local branch’s executive committee “submit to training conducted by the national office,” she added.
“Since her actions were either explicitly or implicitly condoned by the executive committee [of the local branch], the president and the executive committee must submit to training conducted by the national office,” White said.
“Ms. Bynum will be reprimanded” by the national NAACP, White said.
The audit and training for the members of the governing executive committee will be paid for by the local branch of the National Association
for the Advancement of
Colored People.
Bynum said there will be full discussion and full disclosure of the allegations against her once she receives word of the national board’s action in writing. Until then, all this is “hearsay” and “there is nothing to talk about,” Bynum told the meeting. Bynum also referred to the situation as an internal matter for the local branch.
Bynum said there are more than 200 members in the local NAACP branch.
Nine delegates from the local branch of the NAACP attended last week’s national convention. Members of the NAACP Terre Haute Youth Council and members of the Indiana State University branch of the NAACP also attended the convention, Bynum said.
Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.