Nimrod “Rod” T. Chapel Jr. is the new president of the Missouri NAACP, the organization announced on Saturday, January 9 – the state conference’s 14th president and first elected president in nearly 30 years.
Chapel, 45, has led the NAACP’s Jefferson City Chapter for seven years. When protests and injustices were highlighted on Mizzou’s campus last fall, Chapel helped launched a hotline for students to call when instances of hate crimes or discrimination occurred.
His leadership with the NAACP dates back to his college days, when he served as president of the Oklahoma State University Chapter of the NAACP.
“I have a heart for people who have been injured or mistreated and hope to bring that passion to the Missouri NAACP,” Chapel said.
“The world’s eyes have been turned on Missouri not once, but twice. The issues that took place right here in Ferguson and the issues that took place in Columbia have spurred other folks similarly situated to ask, ‘Don’t we deserve more?’”
Chapel told The American that he hopes to bring a new level of transparency and better communication to the statewide organization. “That’s so we can ensure that the people who want to be involved have an opportunity to – and that’s regardless of color or gender,” Chapel said. “I want to welcome everyone back.”
Under his leadership, he said, the Missouri State Conference will “utilize technology, organize the grass roots level and build coalitions” to grow membership, start new chapters and advocate for justice and equity.
Chapel currently practices employment law at the Barnes and Associates Law Firm in Jefferson City. He also serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the Missouri Bar Association. Previously he worked in state government as a director in the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and as an administrative hearing commissioner.
“Rod will bring a level of fiscal transparency, a level of inclusion, but most of all a level of being willing to work with others,” said John Gaskin III, National NAACP board member.
Chapel replaces Mary Ratliff as head of the Missouri NAACP. She served the state conference as president for nearly 30 years.
“It’s long overdue that we have this change,” said Esther Haywood, president of the St. Louis County NAACP. “I cried when he won the election. Everything was in such disarray. We needed to come together and get this organization back running with the right people to run it again.”
Ratliff, who continues as president of the Columbia Chapter, told the Columbia Tribune she wanted to step down from statewide duties following her husband’s death in May, because the job requires many trips across the state and he usually traveled with her.
“I’m still going to serve,” she told the Tribune. “I’m just trying to wind down a bit.”
This story is printed as part of a partnership between The St. Louis American and The Huffington Post.
