Greetings DuPage County NAACP members and friends:

We are pleased to bring to you, another engaging newsletter and a new look. It doesn't get much better than that! We hope you enjoy this edition.

Make it a great day and stay safe.

A. Margret Childress, Chairperson and

Patrick Watson, Co-Chairperson

Communications, Press and Publicity Committee

Committee Chair: Tyronne Johnson

On January 23rd, the DuPage County NAACP hosted a vaccine clinic and health screening event in partnership with the Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) and First United Methodist Church of Downers Grove. This offered the community free services ranging from blood pressure, diabetes, and skin cancer screenings to Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations.

On February 27^th DuPage County (DPC) NAACP participated in an event at Naperville North High School, District 203. The SUCCESS (School, Using, Coordinated, Community, Efforts, to Strengthen Students) organization partnered with HBCU alumni and community members to deliver this unique experience. Alumni, Fraternities, Sororities, Youth Groups, and Civil Rights organizations took part in Black History Month by celebrating Historic Black Colleges and Universities.

DPC NAACP Youth Council presented great visibility. DPC NAACP Health Committee focused on Health literacy, COVID-19 mitigation with hand washing techniques, and vaccine booster pins.

View a short video highlighting the event. Click Below

Committee Chair: Kijuana Boulrece

The video “It Takes a Village”- A Journey of Courage, Culture, and Perseverance in celebration of African American culture and history, produced by Mrs. Antonia Harlan, education committee member, was shared by the education committee as part of celebrating Black History Month. The video chronicles in part the African American story from the land of Africa to the present, exploring the great cultures of Africa to life in America for those of African

descent.

The NAACP in collaboration with Unity Partnership, Inc and members of the Naperville Community met with Chief Arres of the Naperville Police Department. This collaboration of prominent community members addressed representation and inclusion in marketing materials presented to a diverse community. The meeting was facilitated by Mrs. Regina Brent, Founder

and President of Unity Partnerships, Mrs. Kijuana Boulrece, Education Committee Chair, and Dr. Elaine Mosley, Education Committee member.

Committee Chair: Patrick Watson

Promoting Equity IL Coalition – Housing access in IL: What will it Take?

On March 3rd, the Dupage County Political Action Committee partnered with panelists and explored affordable housing and tenant’s rights in Illinois. 

On January 27th, the Dupage County NAACP Political Action Committee held an event called “Confronting the Rise of School Board Disruptions.” Expert panelists spoke about misinformation surrounding mask mandates, the erosion of LGBTQ+ rights, and the way race is being taught in our schools. They discussed possible ways we could come together to support school boards and staff in our area.

The Dupage County Political Action Committee also met with the Illinois Realtors on Elgin’s Crime-Free Housing Ordinance. The NAACP’s National Legal Defense has sent a letter to the city council outlining how the ordinance can discriminate against people of color.

Committee Chair: Connie Schmit

On December 18th at Churchill Woods Forest Preserve, a Native American Winter Solstice ceremony was held. As part of this ceremony, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County President Daniel Hebreard acknowledged that Churchill Woods Forest Preserve sits on Native American land. As part of this land acknowledgment, President Hebreard remembered and honored the land as the home of Native peoples, many of whose names are lost to history.

At the ceremony, President Hebreard shared, “We honor, with gratitude, the land itself and the Indigenous peoples who have been caretakers of the land throughout generations, past and present.” Indigenous history is American history, and by learning the cultures and histories of Indigenous People, we honor those histories for this generation and those to come.

Biography

The idea of becoming a attorney came to Attorney Nuckolls at the age of 14 years old after being inspired by a friend and an attorney in her family. At a young age, Attorney Nuckolls engaged in healthy debates and drew attention by her skills and ability to hold arguments.

Attorney Nuckolls attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for undergraduate school then continued on to DePaul University for law school (1993-1996). Several opportunities were presented to Attorney Nuckolls from insurance to traffic law until she finally landed in criminal law. The position which she holds today at the DuPage County State’s Attorney's office was the result of her readiness and preparation. She is also a member of the DuPage NAACP's Criminal justice committee.

Chicago Suburbs Native Brings Black History to the Big Screen

Since Nicole Benson's Graduation from Naperville's Neuqua Valley High School, she has been on a mission to utilize film for a greater purpose. Benson graduated from Howard University with a Bachelor in Radio, TV, and Film, (otherwise known as Communications) and a Masters in Film and Video Studies (Documentary Focus) from American University. She began her career working as a junior video editor at a startup in Chicago which allowed her to hone her skills as a woman in production.

In 2020, she was blessed to make the transition to MasterClass, where she's really been able to blossom and grow into both an Associate Producer/Producer Role. In her first 5 months, she was given the opportunity to produce a class from start to finish featuring a person she's admired all her life, LeVar Burton. She also had an opportunity to work with Nancy Pelosi and provide the microphone for her sit-down interview.

Nicole Benson Wilson

Finally, her career led her to the role of Associate Producer on the highly anticipated and well-received class, "Black History, Black Freedom, and Black Love" (Part 1, Part 2, & (coming soon) Part 3).

 | Editor and Facilitator: Dr. Elizabeth Boone |

Contact the Communication, Press, and Publicity Committee: communications1.dpcnaacp@gmail.com |