Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Historical Museum will launch its 2019 First Thursday Speaker Series on Thursday, Feb. 7, with “NAACP Generations: Vancouver NAACP Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.” This event will feature conversations with past, current, and future presidents of the NAACP Vancouver Branch 1139. Speakers will include past president Earl Ford, current president Bridgette Fahnbulleh, and assistant president Jasmine Rucker Tolbert. The panel will be moderated by local author Jane Elder Wulff. Doors will open at 5 p.m., and the event will begin at 7 p.m.
“The Vancouver NAACP was established during World War II when better paying jobs in the shipyards brought forth the single largest increase in Vancouver's African American population,” said Fahnbulleh. “For more than 70 years, the organization has served the local community by working to combat and eradicate racial discrimination in the area.”
CCHM’s presentation of “NAACP Generations” will explore the organization’s early history in Vancouver, the evolution of the branch, and its contemporary stories and accomplishments.
Jane Elder Wulff will begin the event with a brief discussion of the origins of the Vancouver NAACP, drawing from her 2012 history book “First Families of Vancouver’s African American Community,” which documents the stories of those who came to Vancouver seeking wartime jobs in the 1940s. Earl Ford will then lead a discussion on the Vancouver NAACP during his 10-year presidency, and Bridgette Fahnbulleh will discuss the current priorities and progress of the branch.
“There is a strong need in Clark County for culturally affirming resources to inspire and support our diverse community members,” said Fahnbulleh. “Many people are feeling culturally isolated. The NAACP can help to address these issues, enrich our community, and help us reach our potential of a more inclusive and diverse community.”
As the future Vancouver NAACP president, Jasmine Rucker Tolbert will conclude the panel with a discussion of the organization’s vision looking forward.
The CCHM First Thursday Speaker Series is sponsored by Clark County’s Historic Preservation Commission. General admission is $5; seniors and students are $4; children under 18 are $3; and the evening is free with a CCHM membership. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early, as it is first-come, first-served seating.
For more information, contact the museum at 360-993-5679 or by email at events@cchmuseum.org.
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