Roslyn Brock, 38, will speak at a local chapter's 30th annual Freedom Fund dinner.
By MEGAN SCOTT
Published April 16, 2004
CLEARWATER - She became a life member when she was in college and has remained active to this day.
At age 38, Roslyn Brock is somewhat of an anomaly: one of the few younger members.
More importantly, she is the youngest person to hold the position of vice chairman of the NAACP's national board of directors, under Chairman Julian Bond.
"She brings a lot to the job," Bond said. "She has been tireless - her committee work, being on the board, traveling around the country speaking to the grass roots. She is a tremendous ambassador for us."
Brock, who lives in Elkridge, Md., is speaking at the Clearwater/Upper Pinellas County chapter of the NAACP's 30th annual Freedom Fund dinner Saturday at the Sheraton Sand Key. A reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:45 p.m. Tickets cost $40.
The topic: Do More in 2004.
"I'm going to be talking about the challenges we still face in the present day society," said Brock, who will address the St. Petersburg chapter of the NAACP on June 5. "The challenges are not different from the challenges we had in the past. We have made some outstanding achievements, but there are some gaps."
Brock, who is from Fort Pierce, became a member of the NAACP in 1985 when she was a student at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Va. She was elected to the national board as a youth member when she was 19. She heads the Life Membership Committee and is instrumental in planning the organization's national convention each year.
She was elected as vice chairman in 1999.
As the organization works to increase recruitment among the 25 to 40 age range, Brock is proof that the NAACP is not just for people who were active during the civil rights movement. She wishes more people her age would join.
"I hear from my peer group, "What's the NAACP doing?' " she said. "(They say) "it's out of date. It's just for old people. I have other issues I'm dealing with.' "
But when they face challenges in the work environment or school, they tend to reach out to the organization for support, she said.
"I think if people take the time and see some of the exciting things we're doing, hopefully they understand what we're doing and race still matters in this country."
IF YOU GO
Tickets for the Clearwater/Upper Pinellas County branch of the NAACP's 30th annual Freedom Fund dinner at the Sheraton Sand Key, 1160 Gulf Blvd., are $40. A reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:45 p.m. For information, call Alma Bridges at (727) 443-3719.
