Charles Hampton’s association with the NAACP began in Milwaukee, WI in 1980, and continues until today as he serves as President of the Mississippi Conference of the organization, a total of 38 years.
After high school graduation in 1966, Hampton left Mississippi with no thought of ever returning. He traveled to Milwaukee where he lived and worked for the next 32 years.
He said, “I left Mississippi in 1966. Didn’t want any part of Mississippi anymore. But I moved back in ’98, and I don’t want to be nowhere but Mississippi.”
Hampton stated that the decision to return to his home state was the second-best decision he ever made, marrying his high school sweetheart, Carolyn, being the best. He has strong, family ties to the state, his father being one of 12 children, and Hampton himself being one of seven.
In Milwaukee, he served as part of the Executive Committee of the NAACP. Hampton became active in the Mississippi Conference in 2006, and was elected to the position of Third Vice-President. He was elected to the position of First Vice-President in 2010, and was elected as President this past November.
Hampton stated that it is a great honor to be elected to the position, but it also involves a lot of work. He said, “Even though the NAACP has been around for 109 years there is still a lot of injustice going on. We do not deal just with discrimination. We deal with education, we deal with the criminal justice system, we deal with health, environmental justice, all of these things that are dear to our heart that affect poor people.”
He added that the organization tries to be a voice for those who feel that they do not have a voice. Hampton pointed out that the NAACP is for all people, not just African Americans, and there are white members of the organization in Winston County, throughout Mississippi and the United States.
The NAACP operates with 20 standing committees, dealing with areas such as education, healthcare, and criminal justice. Hampton said these committees are the backbone of the entire organization, and one of his primary duties is to find the most competent people possible to chair the committees.
There are about 8K NAACP members in Mississippi, with active branches in 40 counties. It requires 50-plus members to have an active chapter, and Hampton said they are working hard to bring the other 42 counties onboard.
The most important area that they are working in currently is the criminal justice system. Hampton stated that too many of their young people are going to jail and prison, so they do workshops to educate the community on the system.
He added that educating the community concerning healthcare issues is extremely important, and partnering with other organizations, the Coalition for a Healthier Winston County has provided about $100K in funding for educational purposes.
Hampton stated that one of the most crucial issues facing the African-American community is education, because without proper education there is a good chance those individuals will end up in jail. He added that Winston County does a pretty good job, but there are areas of the state where there is a real need.
He stated that the NAACP has a very good working relationship with the FBI in Mississippi, and this is a major accomplishment, and one that he is very proud of.
One of the issues that the organization continues to work on is the state flag, which is offensive to many African-Americans, as well as other ethnic backgrounds.
In summation, Mississippi and the nation as a whole have made great strides in righting many wrongs and injustices, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
