By Brad Swanson: Sean Perryman has only been president of the Fairfax County NAACP for a month, but he already has his priorities clear. “My plan is to focus on fewer issues, but go deeper,” he said. The top three topics for him are cannabis legalization, school name changes, starting with Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, and more…
By Brad Swanson: Kofi Annan is puzzled. He’s the president of the Fairfax County NAACP, one of the largest and most active chapters in the Commonwealth, and winner of a prestigious prize as the best chapter in the country. Yet Gov. Ralph Northam’s office, much less the governor himself, won’t speak to him about how to deal with a racist…
Gov. Ralph Northam (D) cancelled a campaign stop in Burke on Sunday in the face of protests organized by groups that normally have little in common — the Fairfax County NAACP and the Fairfax County Republican Committee. After the cancellation, Farfax NAACP President Kofi Annan commented on Facebook, “Virginians deserve a governor that does not have ties to the KKK.…
By Susan Laume: As the Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney’s office handles thousands of civil and criminal cases every year, and touches many thousands of lives in northern Virginia, the social policies of the elected official running the office demand the attention of voters. This is why the Fairfax County NAACP sponsored a debate on March 16 between the two Democratic…
Dr. Ibraheem Samirah, a Herndon-based dentist, won the Democratic Party caucus on Jan 12 for state House District 86 with 36% of the 2,047 votes cast. Coming in second was Kofi Annan, head of the Fairfax County NAACP, with 30%, followed by Michael O’Reilly and Chad Thompson. Complete election results, provided by the Samirah campaign, are here: Samirah said, “I…
Democratic voters in Virginia House District 86 will vote Saturday, Jan. 12, for a candidate to represent the party in a special election to fill the seat vacated by Jennifer Boysko, who recently was elevated to the state senate to replace Jennifer Wexton, who won a seat in Congress last November. Four candidates are competing in the caucus to gain…
By M. J. O’Brien: The Fairfax County NAACP has been named the top branch in the country by the national organization. The branch will receive the prestigious Thalheimer Award, given annually to the branch with the most outstanding achievements, next week at the NAACP’s Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas. “Fairfax County is the home of the best branch in the…
By Brad Swanson: What should be the role of cops in schools? Should armed police officers even be allowed in schools? These were among the issues that rose to the surface in a tense meeting Monday night of a community group charged with reviewing the terms under which police officers are assigned to high schools and middle schools throughout the…
By Kofi Annan: We have the opportunity in Fairfax County to change the role of police officers in public schools – to reduce the possibility of racial profiling and make policies more transparent and accountable to parents. The need for this is apparent. Children are being arrested in our schools for minor offenses that can be dealt with better by…