L. Joy Williams Leads the Legacy of NAACP New York State Conference

By Fern Gillespie
This week, veteran NAACP official L. Joy Williams is traveling to the national NAACP convention happening in Charlotte, NC from July 12 – 16. Although she’s been a panelist and a NAACP National Board Member, this time she’s attending as the President of the NAACP New York Conference of Branches, continuing the legacy of Spingarn Medal winner Hazel Dukes. Williams, an expert political strategist, has worked for over 20 years with the civil rights organization in fighting for social justice and racial equality. She made a memorable mark as President of the award-winning Brooklyn NAACP branch and host of the NAACP Image Award-nominated podcast “#Sunday Civics. Our Time Press recently spoke with L. Joy Williams about her new role leading the NAACP’s 54 New York branches as President of the NAACP New York Conference of Branches.

OTP: Hazel Dukes, the longtime president of the NAACP New York Conference, was your mentor. What advice did she give to you over the years when you were working with her on advocacy issues?
LJW: Hazel Dukes had appointed me as legislative director for the NAACP New York State Conference. We were working alot hand in hand. I was engaging in legislative work on the state level, on behalf of the state conference. I was putting together legislative agendas for about five years. Organizing our Albany advocacy, among other things. So the advice was really focused on how to navigate those leadership roles. When there are times to speak loudly and firmly and when there are times to observe and speak softly and encourage and help guide things in a way rather than to directly have your hands on them. That is certainly advice that I use every day. Not only as we chart our course legislatively in the state, but also in engaging and building the NAACP’s 54 branches in New York State to ensure that we can be a stronger advocacy arm for Black people in the state.

OTP: In your role as the President of the NAACP New York State Conference, how are you dealing with the controversies facing DEI and diversity issues that are affecting Black residents in in New York State?
LJW: Whether they are in government, public sector, or the private sector, a large portion of things targeted towards Black communities were classified as diversity, equity and inclusion programs. So, our focus is there still needs to be an investment in our community to ensure that there is equity across the board. So, we’re very much engaged not only in our school system, but also in corporate America. While we have New York State, who is not rolling back, as opposed to places like Florida that is rolling back their investment in diverse communities. Recognizing that the diversity that we have is our strength. But there’s still pockets of places across the state where that is not happening. Whether it’s the western part of the state or Long Island, which has also been increasingly conservative. There are places that we’re watching and that our branches are engaging in battle with as well.

OTP: Is the NAACP New York State Conference involved in migrant advocacy, especially in terms of the ICE deportations?
LJW: One of the things during this process is people are under the impression that the people who are harmed and are targeted are only from Spanish speaking countries. Not that there are Black people who are also subject. Recently, a judge ruled in favor of ending the Haitian temporary protective status. That was also a population that the Trump administration was targeting. As you know in New York State there is a population of people from continental Africa and the Caribbean. And so, we are meeting in coalition with those groups that serve a Black immigrant population to ensure that their rights are protected and we uplift the issues of concern.

OTP: The national NAACP challenged the “big bill.” What is the NAACP New York State Conference doing in dealing with the Trump administration?
LJW: The “Ugly Bill,” we know has disastrous impact on New York State in terms of Medicaid dollars as well as the SNAP cuts. The reason why I’m focused on building up the health and the infrastructure of the branches in New York State is so that we have an army of advocates who are continuing to push back not only on this administration, but then as these cuts trickle down to states. We’re looking ahead to the next state budget in the next state legislative cycle. We’re making sure that those cuts that may come is not on the backs of already vulnerable communities.

OTP: Why should Black New Yorkers across the state join their local NAACP branch?
LJW: As President of the Brooklyn NAACP, we had success in building the largest branch in the state. It’s the most intergenerationally diverse. That was intentional in order for our community to advance forward. It’s not that we need one particular generation or just one solo leader. It requires all of us to bring our bricks and help build a hedge of protection around our community. But to also build and invest in our communities. And so, you want to be a part of it the NAACP because this is the entity that is going to litigate, agitate and advocate on behalf of Black people in this state. You don’t have to do it alone. Joining with us allows us to push forward an agenda. Whether it’s on a local level in cities like New York City, Buffalo or Rochester to the state level, and then combining our power with those across the country to push back on this administration.