CAPE'S NAACP UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP

Two of Cape Girardeau's most active civil rights advocates are stepping down from local and regional positions to pursue opportunities in another state.

Michael Sterling and his wife, Dr. Bernice Coar-Cobb, resigned their positions as president and vice-president of the Cape Girardeau chapter of the National Association for Colored People last week. The couple leaves today for their new home in Birmingham, Ala.

The two have been worked with the local NAACP for many years, and have been primary officers six of the past eight years. In addition, they also have been active at the regional and state levels of the organization.

"We've been planning this for some time," said Sterling, who has been offered a scholarship to study law at Miles College. "I know I'm leaving it in good hands. New people come in, and that's how it (NAACP) continues to grow."

"My experiences have been very positive having worked with the young people," said Cobb, who will be working with a federal program involving Miles College and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "This is something I plan to continue to do."

Replacing the couple at the NAACP's helm are the Rev. David R. Allen Sr. and Linda Vogelsang, who in a special election last week were elected president and vice-president, respectively.

Allen and Vogelsang said they will work actively in their new roles until regular elections, which are held throughout the national organization each November.

"This is the second time I've had to do this here in this community," said Allen, who served as interim president in 1996 when president Dawn Evans left the community. "My philosophy will be if it ain't broke don't fix it. Those things that have been a success in the past, we will continue to work to maintain that level of success."

Sterling and Cobb viewed their departure with mixed feelings. The move is a good one for them, but they said they will miss working with friends on important issues like education and economic and political empowerment.

"It has been a team effort, that's why we can mention names like Juanita Spicer and others we've worked with," Cobb said. "We're happy the city has helped us with our efforts with young people."

The two are not severing their ties with the organization, however. They've already made contacts with the NAACP chapter in Birmingham and plan to work with the chapter's executive board.

"After 30 years, I'm not going to break my ties with the NAACP," said Sterling. "It's not a social club; it's a civil rights organization. As such, we must stand our ground and work for change."

The couple said they hope to see the local group continue to build on programs such as the annual Back to School/Stay in School, Kwanzaa and Juneteenth celebrations. Civil rights issues shouldn't take a back burner because those are the foundation of the organization, they said.

"I think the main thing we did was bring to light several issues important to our community," said Sterling. "We brought all that to the attention of the greater community, and it caused change."

For example, due to the work of a small group of NAACP members, including a number of students, the Cape Girardeau Board of Education recently approved a calendar for the 2001-2002 school year that does not use federal holidays, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as inclement weather makeup days.

While the group can celebrate that decision as a victory, the protection of federal holidays will remain an emphasis of the organization, Allen said.

"Categorically, Dr. King's holiday and all federal holidays are a concern," he said. "President's Day is a special concern because it was created to accommodate room for Dr. King's holiday.

Focus also will be placed on issues such as institutional racism, housing, economic empowerment, and employment of minorities, especially beyond entry-level jobs.

"Dr. King's day is a battle we've been fighting for 31 years," Allen said. "I would hope we will finally be able to put that to rest, because there are other issues that need to be addressed."