Alumni of Camp Casey (the first) will surely remember Annie and Buddy Spell who put their organizing and legal experience to work in the bar ditches of Crawford, Texas, supporting their friend (and our hero) Cindy Sheehan. So we’re sharing a press release that brings news of the Spells’ excellence in civil rights–gm
COVINGTON NAACP BRANCH WINS STATE AWARD
THREE LOCAL MEMBERS ALSO RECEIVE INDIVIDUAL HONORS
BATON ROUGE, LA The Greater Covington Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was recognized in Baton Rouge on Saturday afternoon with the “Outstanding NAACP Unit Award” by the Louisiana NAACP. The award, which acknowledges the local group’s community activism in the ongoing civil rights movement, was accepted on behalf of the membership by Branch President James A. “Gus” Davis. Davis, a decorated Viet Nam veteran and long time community activist who only recently assumed leadership of the unit, also received individual recognition by the state organization and was presented with the “Community Service Award”.
Also receiving individual honors from the state were local attorneys and branch members, Annie and Buddy Spell. Mrs. Spell, the immediate past president, received the “Emmit F. Douglas Memorial Award” in recognition of her valuable contributions to the Louisiana NAACP. She received national attention when she was elected two years ago as only the second white, female branch president in the history of the national organization. Under her leadership, the local group established itself as an activist branch both regionally and nationally for not only civil rights actions, but also within the antiwar movement.
Her husband and law partner was honored with the “M. Joy Clemmons Legal Service Award” for his assistance to the state organization in connection with various direct actions addressing criminal defendants’ right to counsel, Katrina relief, and voters’ rights over the last year.
BACKROUND ARTICLES:
http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2005-05-24/news_feat.html
http://www.countercurrents.org/us-spell250706.htm
http://peacefile.org/wordpress/?p=232
CONTACT:
Annie Spell
(985) 264-7752 P.S. Smudge the Peace Cat is “good,” says Buddy.
Texas Civil Rights Review 