The national office of the NAACP has made a couple of significant changes lately. They dismissed chairwoman Roslyn M. Brock and president Cornell Brooks.

Leon Russell, the new national board chairman, and Derrick Johnson, the vice chairman, sent a letter out announcing the termination of Mr. Brooks, along with their intentions for the future of the NAACP.  

Following is an excerpt from that letter:

“… in the coming months, our leadership will embark on a ‘listening tour for the first time in our history.’ It is clear that Americans of all genders and ages, from all of the corners of all 50 states, have been aching to be understood, to be seen — and now, they are demanding to be heard. We want to meet those demands, and in doing so, ensure that we are harnessing the energy and voice of our grassroots membership as we pursue transformational change. As we re-imagine ourselves, we want to be formed in the likeness of the people whom we serve — and to do so, we must first see, meet and listen to them … As we embark on this journey, everyone will have a place at the table.”

The most striking statement to me is that in 107 years, the NAACP has never gone on a “listening tour” to hear from its branches. But I will let you draw your own conclusions from that excerpt, and I encourage you to read the entire letter. Read it and critically analyze it to see if it meets your approval, especially if you are a member.

The once vaunted and heralded NAACP has finally gotten the message it seems, and is ready to hear from the grassroots. I trust they are truthful in that regard and will follow through on their statements. If they do not, and merely put a new face on the same old problems, my advice is for members to walk away and leave them to their own devices. If they are sincere, I urge you to support this new vision and get involved to help bring it to fruition.

A black organization with over a half million members can do so much to move us toward economic empowerment. It will not happen if corruption and distrust exist at the top. Nor will it happen if those on the local level participate in that corruption and/or turn a blind eye, a deaf ear and a mute voice to election tampering and mistreatment of branches that refuse to go along with the nonsense from the national office.

I wish Brothers Russell and Johnson well in their quest to recapture the glory of the NAACP. But they should know there is a great deal of discontentment out there, which must be heard and respected. When that is acknowledged and dealt with — fairly and immediately — the organization can move forward. But it will not until that happens.

Suggestion: A great place to start the listening tour is Ohio. It has been at the center of the storm for years.

The writer is founder of the Greater Cincinnati African-American Chamber of Commerce.