TALLAHASSEE BRANCH ∙ NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE

P: (850) 759-0606 | P.O. BOX 5892, TALLAHASSEE, FL 32314 | 719 W. BREVARD ST., TALLAHASSEE, FL 32304
WEB ADDRESS: WWW.NAACPTALLAHASSEE.ORG I EMAIL: NAACPTALLAHASSEE@GMAIL.COM

MUTAQEE AKBAR, ESQ., PRESIDENT

Executive Committee Officers

January 11, 2022
Mutaqee Akbar, Esq. President
Statement on the 2022 Annual NAACP MLK March
Carita Evans
1st Vice President The Annual NAACP MLK March has been a longstanding tradition in our community
for many years to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as
Larry White, Esq.
2nd Vice President celebrate the work of Rev. C.K. Steele and the many who struggled for civil rights
locally in our own city. The gathering at the C.K. Steele Plaza, the symbolic march to the
[VACANT] Florida State Capitol, and the coming together of people from all walks of life to
3rd Vice President remember and recommit ourselves to the ideals and steadfastness of the civil rights
Kristellys Estanga movement are moments we look forward to as we begin the new year.
Secretary
As we know, we have been functioning very differently in the past two years because
Tiffany Mount, Esq. of a pandemic that has affected every aspect of our individual and communal lives.
Treasurer Certainly, during the entirety of my tenure as President of the Tallahassee Branch
VACANT
NAACP, we have had to adjust our operations in order to prioritize the health of our
Assistant Treasurer branch and community.
This is why, as new information has come out about the COVID-19 variants, its potent
Executive Committee Members transmissibility, the exponential increase in cases in our community, schools, and the
burden our hospitals are facing because of it, we have decided to cancel, and hopefully
Col. Wilson Barnes (Ret.) William E. Brodie
reconfigure, our involvement in the City of Tallahassee’s MLK Day Celebrations.
Sedra Butler
Our portion of the day, scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., will no longer take
Barbara DeVane place after a reconsideration from our Executive Board via a vote that resulted in a clear
directive to prioritize the health of our board, our members, and our community. If there
William Eichhoefer
is to be a virtual reconfiguration or a postponement of our march for a later date, we will
Connie Evans, Ph.D. Delaitre Hollinger announce this as soon as it is decided.

Robert “Bob” Kenon
Audrey Smith
Youth & College Division
FSU NAACP President Andrew Shirley
FAMU NAACP President Devan Vilfrard
Youth Council President Asia Alexander
Youth Council Advisor Marlon Williams-Clark
FSU NAACP Advisor Jabari Grayson
We made this decision after various community members and our own NAACP
members, including Executive Board members, came to us to express their concerns.
This wasn’t an easy decision, especially after having cancelled it last year as well.
However, it is the decision we feel is in the best interest of our community. We regret
that certain individuals have chosen to use this very important issue as a political tool to
divide this community.
We encourage other event hosts to prioritize the health and safety of our community
on MLK Day and for all of us to take all of the safety precautions to prevent further
infections. Furthermore, in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. C.K. Steele, and
other civil rights fighters, please join our upcoming events and branch meetings to
partner with us to work toward beloved community through policies that fight economic
and racial injustice in all of its present forms.

FAMU NAACP Advisor Carita Evans

Sincerely,

Mutaqee Akbar, Esq.

President, Tallahassee Branch NAACP