2011 was a very busy year with the section 8 housing topping the list of items our branch undertook for the betterment of our neighbors within the Antelope Valley community. With the filing of the law suit against the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale and the litigation negotiations with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors which voted to place a moratorium on the Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) between the two cities and the county, placing a hold on the extra section 8 housing investigators that the cities requested. As a result the there has been a decline in the number of persons not only arrested but also a reduction in families losing their section 8 choice voucher. This year also has seen the United States Department of Justice in our valley taking statements from our local residents concerning the conduct of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies when called to a location and how they have been responding to the residents in the African America and Latino communities. Their investigation is ongoing and will continue into the New Year. It is our hope that the deputies who allow their bias towards a particular group of people in the community which causes them to over react will either receive better diversity training or find employment in other professions. I am happy to say that our local branch has become more visible and has grown over the past year. We have held membership drives at our very own Antelope Valley College and in our neighboring California City. We have proudly presented a Fashion Show held at the John P. Eliopulos Center in Lancaster and taken part at Jackie Robinson Park during this year’s Juneteenth celebration in Sun Village Ca. Our branch general membership has met consistently on the third Thursday of each month for the past year at the Los Angeles County Fire Training Facility, Station #129 in Lancaster, Ca. and will continue to meet at this location throughout the 2012 year. Our Officers and Executive Committee has also met consistently throughout the 2011 year at Camille’s Sidewalk Café’ and will continue to do the same in 2012. Your Officer represented the Branch at this year’s 102nd NAACP Annual National Convention held in Los Angeles California during July and participated in adopting resolutions for the 2011 calendar year. Our branch also received the 24th Annual California/Hawaii State Convention Dr. H. Claude Hudson Award this October for exemplifying the mission of the NAACP for our part in the Section 8 law suite and also received the Certificate of Recognition for an Increase in Membership. 2012 promises to be even more challenging as we work towards improving our local community relations with our sheriffs department and school districts and our continue involvement with the Section 8 lawsuit. I thank all of you for your efforts and support during the year and wish you a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. Juan Blanco President |