Full Letter of Outgoing Virginia NAACP Executive Director Da'Quan Love
February 2022: Full Letter of Outgoing Virginia NAACP Executive Director Da'Quan Love
from February 2022
Greetings,
It is with mixed emotions that I submit to you my resignation, effective immediately as the 6th Executive Director of the Virginia State Conference of NAACP Branches.
Indeed I have mixed emotions about my decision. Professionally, I am sad because I earnestly love and enjoy the work I was able to do in this august role. Under my leadership as your executive director, I led a historic transformation of the Virginia State Conference in such a short time frame. Not only did we improve administrative operations but we drastically expanded the scope and reach of our programmatic efforts. Black Virginians are undoubtedly better because of the increased visibility, heightened profile, and prominence of the Virginia State Conference NAACP under my leadership.
Achievements under my leadership
Set aside $250,000 to establish the Virginia State Conference Endowment Fund. This initial investment represents a long-term commitment to the viability of the VSC and our programs. If the VSC continues the long-term investment plan I established, this has the potential to provide revenue for generations to come.
Upgraded office technology. We replaced 15-year old computers in the state office, replaced 31-year-old analog telephones, leased an updated copier, and installed wireless internet in the state headquarters.
Facilitated a $2.5 million civic engagement campaign in 2021. This partnership with our units and the national office allowed us to reach nearly every Black Virginian and resulted in historic Black voter turnout in an off-year election.
Solicited and secured the largest contribution in the history of the Virginia State Conference. This $300,000 commitment from one of our longstanding partners gives the VSC the ability to hire much-needed staff and continue investing in the critical infrastructure needed to carry out the organization's mission. (It is unfortunate that the executive committee turned down this new revenue after 10 months of cultivating that gift because they wanted to micromanage the executive director and insisted on pre-approving all fundraising solicitations.)
Diversified revenue streams. When I arrived the VSC had two primary streams of revenue: corporate sponsorships and branch assessments. In just 12 months we added new fundraising initiatives such as Juneteenth In the Commonwealth, digital fundraising, mail fundraising, and other efforts. Without such innovation, we would NOT have been able to stay in the black last year.
Many other sundry accomplishments are too numerous to list here.
While I am professionally sad, I personally am outraged. Having served the NAACP since I was in middle school, I am frankly angry with how I and other staff have been treated by members of the Executive Committee of the state conference. I recognize that this comes as a surprise for many of you because I have remained professional in my attempts to "push through" these unnecessary challenges. However, enough is enough.Â
I was recruited and hired for this position to help elevate the public profile of the Virginia State Conference and raise much-needed funds. Irrefutably I have done so and I have done it well! I have sacrificed my personal health and well-being in the face of verbal abuse, bullying, physical and other forms of harassment, gaslighting, and other forms of manipulation by members of the executive committee. All to the point which I have been stressed to the point of hospitalization on multiple occasions. Sadly, when I recently had to take a few weeks of medical leave, the patterns of misconduct by executive committee members were only exhasterbated.
When I most recently went to the emergency room, I notified President Barnette that I wouldn't be in the office that day. The fact the personnel committee chair sent an email demanding that I contact them immediately because I notified President Barnette and not them when I went to the hospital shows the lengths to which some executive committee members will go to exert power and control over the most minute issue. This same committee chair appointed themself to go to the state office, demanding keys and financial banking information from our staff before proceeding to physically remove them from the office while threatening to call the police. Furthermore, this same personnel committee conducted a sham annual performance evaluation while I was out on medical leave despite the objections of President Barnette.
"When people show you who they are, believe them." -Maya Angelou
I have shown the Virginia State Conference who I am and just how hard I will work and sacrifice to move this association forward. But sadly, that has not been reciprocated. That is evident in my fulfilling dual roles as executive director and office manager without any support for the recommendations I have given to the personnel committee or the executive committee in today's competitive job market. Despite being on medical leave for nearly three weeks, the VSC didn't send a card, flowers or show any corporate concern for my health. The Personnel Committee held meetings and evaluations but not one person picked up the phone to call and check on me. I am grateful that the Henrico County Branch was thoughtful enough to send a gift basket. Clearly, I am not valued or appreciated by the Virginia State Conference.
I must pause to thank with sincere gratitude President Robert Barnette who has done his very best to shield myself and my staff from the constant overreach of the executive committee. Let me be clear - he is NOT the problem.
Of the last two executive directors, it is my understanding that one had a stroke and the other passed away not even a month after leaving this role. Because I am not even thirty years old and have too much life to live, I cannot continue to battle the in-fighting, micromanagement, and constant belittling in this role. The unreasonable expectations of unreasonable executive committee members have made my dream job, which I love so dearly, a living nightmare.
I am certain that there will be those who mince my words and will try to paint a different picture of why I am leaving. And to those persons, I would encourage you to read the attached resignation letter from the Late Jack Gravely, the most recent interim executive director dated July 2016. You'll find that the circumstances of both our resignations point to systemic internal problems of micro-managing, controlling, power-hungry leaders on the executive committee of the VSC. In fact, many of the same people remain on the executive committee today! That should tell any objective reader that this is a larger, systemic problem.
I sincerely do NOT want to resign, but for my own physical and mental health I don't see any changes happening anytime soon to solve the issue of micromanagement, unrealistic expectations, and continued harassment. I hope that the National Board will continue to keep the VSC under administratorship so it can work through these challenges. I will provide Mr. Barnette with my keys, passwords, and laptop this week. I will always be a member of the VSC and earnestly pray for its continued growth, prosperity, and success. May God bless and keep the Virginia State Conference NAACP.
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7
Da'Quan Love - {e-mail and phone removed by Burkefile}
Thanks,
Da'Quan