IRVINGTON, NJ — At the Irvington NAACP’s election on Thursday, Nov. 1, in Greater New Point Baptist Church on Paine Avenue, Thurman Dancy was elected as its new president.
Dancy beat out at large Councilwoman Charnette Frederic 7-3, with 10 members participating in the election.
“It feels challenging and exciting to be the new president,” said Dancy on Thursday, Nov. 1. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Dancy said he doesn’t have any specific priorities yet, but wants to recruit more members and engage in more voter registration and election-related activities on his watch as president.
“It’s a lot of things. I don’t have anything at this very time specific, but I plan to do a lot of research and do a lot of digging and get involved,” Dancy said. “We definitely need members in our Irvington branch. The NAACP has been around a long time and does a lot of great things and I think a lot of people, I don’t know if they have jobs or commitments, but they’re losing touch, so I would like to reinvigorate the interest and get people involved, because we are living in times where we definitely need the NAACP.”
Dancy’s election went smoothly, although Frederic was absent for the vote itself. Like many current Irvington NAACP members, she was across town participating in a rally for U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez at New Jerusalem Baptist Church on Nye Avenue for the Tuesday, Nov. 6, general election.
“First I would like to say congratulations to the new president,” said Frederic, on Thursday, Nov. 1, when she arrived at the monthly meeting after the election was finished. “As always, I’m one phone call away. One of the things that is very difficult for me is to come to any meeting because I have so many things to do.”
Frederic said she joined the Irvington NAACP and decided to run for president this year “because that’s how much I believe in fighting social injustice.”
“Coming from a country that is not the same as here, so as a councilperson, I always say: ‘I’m here for the voices,’ ” said Frederic. “I’m here for the people that need it the most and the NAACP is the place that’s there for those kinds of people. So being part of the NAACP it’s just an honor, a privilege to be there for the NAACP. It’s not about a debate; it’s all about good. It’s all about love and that’s what I’m all about.”
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