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A whole new beginning

Local chapter of NAACP is returning to Fort Dodge

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Members of the newly reformed Fort Dodge chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People gather for a photo recently. The are, back row from left, Terry Moehnke, For Dodge City Council member; Roger Porter, Fort Dodge police chief; Jesse Ulrich, superintendent, Fort Dodge Community School District; Ira Shivers, chef, Fort Dodge; and Jeremey Moore, records and support tech for the Fort Dodge Police Department. Pictured in the front row, from left, are Dr. Michael D. Blackwell, Fort Dodge; Julia Naylor, Fort Dodge; Sherry Washington, Fort Dodge; and Cory Husske, assistant police chief, FDPD.

A local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which will work to bring awareness to health and wellness, among other things, is returning to Fort Dodge.

Sherry Washington, of Fort Dodge, will serve as president of the recently-formed board. Charles Clayton, of Fort Dodge, will be the vice president.

The local chapter of the NAACP has been non-existent for many years, according to Washington.

“From my understanding, it just kind of fizzled due to inactivity,” she said.

According to Messenger records, in October 1993, the Fort Dodge chapter struggled with low attendance and held a meeting to discuss the future of the group.

The idea to bring back a local chapter started with a conversation at the Ames NAACP banquet in 2018.

“It all started with a conversation with Betty Andrews, regional president for Iowa/Nebraska NAACP,” Washington said. “I invited her up to speak and she invited me to rechapter.”

Washington said the goal is to have at least 100 members.

“Our startup month that we would like to launch the rechaptering is February, which is a perfect time to do that as it’s Black History Month,” Washington said.

In addition to Washington and Clayton, board members include Julia Naylor, a past Fort Dodge NAACP president; Roger Porter, Fort Dodge police chief; Cory Husske, Fort Dodge assistant police chief; Jeremey Moore, records and support technician for the Fort Dodge Police Department; Dr. Michael D. Blackwell, of Fort Dodge; Jesse Ulrich, Fort Dodge Community School District superintendent; Dr. Terry Moehnke, Fort Dodge city councilman; and Ira Shivers, a lead chef at TC Mae’s Family Diner.

Porter, who graduated Fort Dodge Senior High with Washington, said he wanted to be part of the board to continue the Police Department’s efforts of improving the lives of citizens.

“I think it’s a worthwhile group,” Porter said. “We want to help and be part of the solution rather than just standing by, and this gets us involved. We want to be involved in every aspect of the community.”

Part of his role will be to educate people on police work, he said.

“A lot of it is educating,” Porter said. “We do that on daily basis. How to keep yourself safe. This is another avenue to get that word out. We will also look at how policing impacts everyone in society.”

Moore, who handles much of the social media work that the Police Department does, will likely be used to help the NAACP in that capacity, Porter said.

“We are just starting fresh,” Porter said. “We brought Jeremey on board as possibly being the secretary. He’s very organized and adept at social media.”

Shivers said he is honored to be part of the NAACP.

His father, the Rev. James Shivers, helped organize the local chapter in the 1980s. James Shivers has since passed away.

“I see it as continuing his legacy, so to speak,” Ira Shivers said. “And then starting one of my own to be able to pass down to my children.”

He complimented his father’s ability to bring people together.

“I wish I could be half the man my father was, because he just brought so much joy and peace, and love to a lot of people’s lives,” Shivers said. “Whether it was through his testimonial through his sermon — at one point he was a school bus driver. He wore a lot of different hats.”

One of Shivers’ first jobs was working construction with his father.

“To see him do construction and then, when Sunday comes, to see him do that 360 spin and be ready to preach for that Sunday sermon,” Shivers said. “I was always looking forward to the Sunday sermon because not only did it bring people closer together, but it would bring one closer to faith. If you came into church that day doubting if the Lord or anything religious was real, by the time you left that sermon you were convinced. He was amazing. I would like to try to be half that.”

Shivers said the NAACP can play a role in improving this community.

“Most people think that the NAACP is just for black people,” Shivers said. “Me, myself, before I learned about it, that’s what I thought. Further looking into it, just bringing in different people from different backgrounds, different races, to bring it all together and bring this community back to where we were in the ’80s, ’90s. That’s what I would like to see is more unity. It goes for everyone.”

He’s ready to help out in any way he can.

“Whether it be food, some type of community event,” Shivers said. “I just want to start interacting. I am a people person and I love interacting with people and learn different things. I’m anxious.”

The board plans to have its meetings at the Coppin Chapel African Methodist Church.

“One of the past active chapters, Coppin Chapel was the location for it at that time as well,” Washington said. “Coppin Chapel is very significant in Fort Dodge history.”

Washington said there’s some misconceptions about the NAACP.

“It’s not rioting or anything like that,” Washington said. “It connects the community to show that we work better together and we work well together. It’s the advancement of people connecting and advancing together. It’s also a nonpartisan group. One of the missions or focuses would be voter awareness and information, but also education, health, our youth. Families. Just so many different avenues that we look at as a community. It’s really to advance and bring awareness to everyone.”

The NAACP is a civil rights organization formed in 1909 as a biracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du Bois, Mary White Ovington and Moorfield Storey.

Its mission is to ensure the political, educational, social and equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.

In the 1990s, the Fort Dodge chapter targeted issues such as high school dropout rates and the importance of voting. It also presented scholarships to local schools in the name of H.C. Meriwether. Meriwether was a U.S. Navy veteran who served in both world wars and was one of the first African Americans to own a business in Fort Dodge.

Washington said a health fair is one project the group may work on.

“Bringing awareness to high blood pressure, dental, eye awareness,” she said. “Things like that. Just give some health tips to folks.”

Washington said the mission is personal to her.

“Having a very blended, diverse family, each generation our parents have also taught us to stand on what you believe in and to always help others,” she said. “I have seven nieces and nephews and five are biracial. What they see aunts, and grandparents, and family members doing makes a tremendous impact and gives them something to see and understand. With the strong parents I have, both my mother and father, they were very encouraging and taught us to stand up for what we believe in. Always taught us respect. Respect is everything.”

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