Benton Harbor minister takes NAACP to court

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BENTON HARBOR-On April 2, Rev. Edward Pinkney, president of the Benton Harbor/Twin City NAACP branch, filed a lawsuit against Ben Jealous, nat’l NAACP president, and state president Yvonne White and Vice Pres. James Gill.
Defendants White and Gill knowingly and willfully entered into a joint agreement with Whirlpool employee Marcus Robinson (Whirlpool’s Consortium for Community Development, and Band of Brethren) to take over the BH/Twin City NAACP, and to suspend membership fees for new people Robinson brings to NAACP.
Whirlpool Corp. circulated an email stating the nat’l. and state NAACP offices were persuaded to undertake the reorganization of the branch – with the specific intention of revitalizing the leadership.  It stated that members should contact Marcus Robinson rather than the branch elected officers or executive officers.  This is an attempt at a hostile takeover of the local NAACP branch by the defendants and the following:  James Hightower, Leonard Seawood, Whirlpool Corp., the PGA tournament, and Harbor Shores.
The lawsuit will be heard on April 11, 2012, 10am, Judge Sullivan’s courtroom in Detroit. 10th floor two Woodard Ave.

Sonya Bernard-Hollins

Community Voices was founded in 2005 by James and Arlene Washington in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The weekly print publication provided a unique opportunity to inform the multicultural community of news important to them. In addition, it provided an affordable advertising source for small businesses in the community.