Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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I N - D E P T H 62 OCTOBER 2020 contact northshoremanaacp.com Today, he is in his eighth term as president of the New England conference, serves on the board of the national organization, and acts as a counselor, helping new branches get up and running. With Cofield's assistance, the North Shore Massachusetts branch of the NAACP received its charter in July. Membership has only grown since then, including residents of 17 towns, and Bowers hopes to reach 1,000 members by the end of the year. The conditions could be right for meeting this ambitious goal, Cofield says. "There is a real awakening of a lot more people who didn't see or understand the extent of systemic racism," Cofield says. "Today, they understand it, they get it." Being part of the NAACP will give the North Shore group access to a deep reserve of experience, strategy, and expertise, Bowers says. Too often in the past, she says, people attempting to help racial minorities have seen themselves as saviors and charged ahead, failing to heed the advice or listen to the needs of the community they wanted to support. Bowers wants to make sure this mostly white group in a mostly-white region—just 6 percent of Essex County residents identify as Black—doesn't fall into that trap. "Most white people don't really understand the Black American experience," Bowers says. "We have to take direction from the civil rights authority that has been pushing a very effective agenda." As an official charter of the NAACP, the new North Shore branch will take actions in support of the key issues determined by the national organization, including educational achievement, economic sustainability, criminal justice reform, health care equity, and voting rights and political representation. They will write letters, advocate for the cause with local and state leaders, fundraise, and more. This work is vital, even for residents of areas with low black and brown populations, because racism undermines democracy for people of all colors, Cofield says. "We are helping bring about the dream of a free, democratic, and equitable system for all Americans," he says. "Racism is not a Black issue—it is an American issue." "e majority of conversations I have had with people of color on the North Shore is that they do not feel welcome here. We're so segregated we don't realize racism exists here." —Natalie Bowers Advisory services offered through Capital Advisory Group Advisory Services, LLC. Securities offered through United Planners Financial Services. Member FINRA/SIPC. Ipswich Bay Advisors, Capital Advisory Group Advisory Services and United Planners are independent companies. 150A ANDOVER STREET • SUITE 2 • DANVERS, MA • 01923 978.777.6554 • ipswichfinancial.com The world of Retirement Planning is Changing. To achieve Financial Independence, Retirees will need: • Advanced Tax Reduction Strategies • Retirement Planning for The New Paradigm • Comprehensive Financial Planning • Tailored Investment Portfolios "Go from Forever Taxed to Never Taxed" — Ed Slott SM YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET Call today for a Free consultation: "We use a Proven 6 Step Process to help our clients Lower Taxes, avoid costly mistakes and establish sound wealth management strategies." Richard C. Cella III has served the North Shore Community for over 30 years. He is a Certified Wealth Strategist and a member of Ed Slott's Master Elite IRA Advisor Group, the nation's leading experts Regarding IRA's, tax planning and retirement distributions.