By Dianne Anderson

People who are scared to turn on their TV lately for what comes next may find some comfort with their local NAACP.

Despite these uncertain times, Dr. Regina Patton-Stell is not fearful, but she is concerned.

“This operation has been operational for 100 years, it’s not like we haven’t dealt with something crazy like this before. We will come through it,” said Dr. Regina Patton Stell, president of the NAACP Riverside Branch.

The NAACP, the oldest civil rights organization in the nation, has brought countless lawsuits against the government since it began at the local and national levels with everything from voter rights protections, school desegregation, employment discrimination, police misconduct, housing, and many others.

In recent weeks, she was at the capitol, fighting and advocating. She said it’s been busy.

“We’ve had mandatory calls, 500 presidents on the Zoom. We have our marching orders,” she said. “This is what we do. We are filing lawsuits in courts across the country, we get updates on what NAACP nationally is doing.”

Taking their lead from the national effort, the local branches give guidance at the local level on specific issues. She said the organization has stood strong for 115 years, and they’re not backing down.

“We have been around when they were hanging people from trees. We’re not going anywhere,” she said. “We’re getting our strategies and we’re going to stay laser-focused and strategically use our landscape.”

Patton-Stell, who has been an educator for over three decades, has served as a principal and was appointed as the first Black assistant superintendent in her school district in Riverside. Under her leadership with the local NAACP branch, she has also grown attendance and collaborations. She was honored with the 2022 Waudieur Rucker-Hughes Social Action Advocate Award by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

As a driving force for civil rights, she said everyone should be encouraged how the NAACP, along with strategic partners, have pushed every big court case and legislation related to social justice since 1909.

In this past month, the country is watching several plans unfold, the dismantling of federally funded DEI programs, thousands of federal workers terminated, while other vital programs facing steep cuts, like Medicaid, hang in the balance.

It is stressful, but she sees the community re-energized. Over 100 people joined the organization in recent weeks. It’s only $30 a year, and members all volunteer, but she said everyone can do a little, or a lot, for the cause.

“When you put Black people against the wall, they come out fighting. I’ve had more people coming on probably since I’ve been here,” she said.

With all the heavy emotional lifting, local psychologist Dr. Brandon Gamble feels it’s critical to keep the right perspective.

Activists have been down this road before, and he feels there is strength to be culled from those who have historically fought the fight, many before the Voting Rights Act of 1965 or Civil Rights Act of 1968.

“Folks have been digging into into history to see what people have done in similar times in some of the more active roles, [such as] MLK, and Mary McLeod Bethune,” said Dr. Gamble, who is Black History Month Committee Co-Chair, and director of the  Office of Black Student Success.

He reflects that everything from the Black Panther Party, the Association of Black Psychologists to even smaller organizations like the National Association of Black Accountants, have all played a pivotal role in the movement.

At the corporate level, he looks to the Kwame Model of Organization, developed by Kwame Ture, (AKA Stokely Carmichael), a civil rights activist who showed how the community benefits from the collective and Pan-African leadership.

Most of all, in these times, he said it’s important to take care of self.

“I’ve seen really good conversations about the original meaning of self-care that was discussed by people like Angela Davis and Elaine Brown [former chairwoman of the Black Panther Party]. Everything from meditation to yoga to journaling to prioritizing that as a part of your everyday routine,” he said.

Paying attention to things that uplift and empower is essential, and also water intake with enough sleep can not be understated.

Go out and walk.

“And, filter a lot of the strange messages that are coming and focus on what are your priorities to build and help support, particularly with other Black people as you go through these strange times,” he said.

Going on around town, the community is also invited to attend the 5th Annual “Let’s Talk: Black History Month” Zoom in celebration of Black History of San Bernardino County. On Wednesday, February 26 at 11:00 a.m., local leaders will share their experiences with insights hosted by Arrowhead United Way President Dr. Gwen Dowdy-Rodgers.

Guest speakers include City of San Bernardino Water Board Commissioner Rikke Van Johnson, lifetime Member of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, and Vickie Lee. Dr. Dowdy-Rodgers and others will address the importance of continuing Black History Month for future generations.

Rikke Van Johnson said many powerful local Black leaders of the past had a good solution for how this generation can get ahead of problems now resurfacing with a vengeance, but the answer requires commitment.

“Back in the day, there were always people helping people, reaching back and lifting others up. That’s something I don’t see as much today,” he said.

So many hard-fought programs are being stripped away today, and he feels that everyone must do something, which starts close to home with young people.

“They have the energy, but if we’re not intentional about making things happen we’re just going to be settling for the same old, same old,” he said. “People feel at this level what can I do to impact to make change? But I always tell people, anything you do starts local.”

For Riverside Branch NAACP, see

Landing Page