Greetings to you, my fellow citizens, countrymen and friends of Natchez.

I am writing this note to stimulate and encourage you to support our local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Amazingly the thought just arose in my mind — at 4 a.m. — about colored people; a term attached to people of African-American decent. But when I checked out my mind from a broad perspective — and that has its limits — white is one of our major colors in real life. So the acronym NAACP is for all people.

That being a fact, don’t cloud your mind with swayed views or allow anyone to influence negativism to you about the NAACP.

When the NAACP has to do battle with the powers that be, it helps everybody, either directly or indirectly.

For every branch of the national association to exist, every local office must remain connected to the national body.

We are required to send representatives annually to that grand convocation. This year we will convene in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 9-13.

A chartered bus will depart Jackson for those who wish to attend the convention but don’t want to fly.

For further information, you may contact President Alfred Hunter at 601-445-8737 or me.

Now we all cannot go to the national convention, but we all can help those of us who must attend.

Your local NAACP is having a fundraiser Saturday. We will sell barbecue chicken dinners at the parking lot across from the old brick house building on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or while supplies last.

Please support your most prestigious, respected and oldest black organization in the country.

If you are not a member, please join our ranks. We are on the move.

Finally, together we stand, divided we fall sometimes one by one.

Thanks for your support.

Clifton Marvel is the first vice president of the Natchez branch of the NAACP.