National Action Network charters new chapter in Jackson
JACKSON, Tenn.— One national organization welcomes a local chapter in the Hub City.
“I just went two weeks ago and started a chapter in Chattanooga and last month I started the chapter in Memphis. So now Jackson is it and we have two more chapters but just to get all these chapters all over Tennessee is going to be amazing,” says Cheryl Huff with the field department National Action Network.
The National Action Network is an organization that was founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton.
Their mission is to protect the civil rights of all individuals and to educate these individuals on their rights.
“I want to teach them what their rights are. We bring attorneys, we bring council members, we bring legislators. We go down to the capital to do a lot of lobbying and we do a lot of stuff. So this is what we’re going to do to educate and get the chapters up and going,” Huff adds.
Newly elected president of the Jackson NAN Chapter is Sabrina Parker who is elated to have this opportunity to take on this mission.
“As you can hear from the enthusiasm in this room people are fired up and they’re ready to get the work done because it’s really gonna take all of us to make a collective impact. To really make some waves some real changes that people can actually see not just talk about it but be about it and that’s what I’m excited about,” Parker adds.
Currently they have plans to partner with West Tennessee Legal Services, the non-profit, Persevere, and have quarterly workshops with lawyers.
“It’s hard to listen when you don’t have a check in your pocket or you’re going from pay check to pay check and you’re struggling. It’s hard to want to go vote or be a part of any real change so, we want to make sure we empower people holistically. That includes jobs, that includes economic resources. That includes expungements that’s what these partnerships will do,” Parker says.
The organization also took the time to honor three local trailblazers in Jackson.
The three were recognized for their impact they have made in Jackson’s history.
