About 50 members of the city NAACP branch gathered in a library on campus at Harris-Stowe Monday as a forum was being led by Bill Cosby in the main auditorium. That’s when Crumpton’s spirited membership revolted and refused to approve the $15,000 fundraising contract of member Shirley Brown, despite its being recommended by the executive committee. The general membership, the ultimate authoritative body, voted unanimously to table the deal until next month, when they could review the contract.
Treasurer Annetta Booth adamantly spoke against the deal, and several long-time branch members said that the NAACP is a volunteer civil rights group and should not be paying members to do work.
Several NAACP observers wondered what happened to the $50,000 promoter Don King donated and earmarked to the youth of that branch. Crumpton refused to green-light any funds so that local NAACP youth could attend this year’s national NAACP convention in Milwaukee.
Crumpton abruptly called for an end to the meeting, despite having four remaining items on the agenda. He vowed to have a special-call meeting of the membership to approve the $15,000. At that time, some members will be wondering how much money Crumpton has already paid to Brown, a resident in the high-class Chase Park Plaza Hotel.