When John Gaskin III was named president of the St. Louis chapter last November, and a member of the national board, he brought youth and vitality to the 75-year-old chapter. He was elected to acclimation. He was the person everyone in the St. Louis Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People wanted to lead. And lead he did.

“The denial of due process at Missouri’s colleges disproportionately impacts African-American men,” St. Louis County NAACP President John Gaskin III stated in support of proposed House bills aimed at making Title IX procedures “fairer for the accused.”

The numbers are appalling, with black males even more disproportionately prosecuted and expelled from college than convicted and imprisoned in the legal system. Except this time it can’t be blamed on racist cops or systemic injustice. It’s the women doing the accusing. It’s the “diverse and inclusive” colleges denying due process.

And it’s the national NAACP that couldn’t care less about these black lives.

Dear Mr. Gaskin:

It has come to my attention that you, in your capacity as President of the St. Louis County Branch of the NAACP (“Branch”), have publicly spoken out in support of proposed state legislation that would make it more difficult for survivors of sexual assault at Missouri’s state universities to come forward with their claims and have them adjudicated. This position conflicts with NAACP policy regarding implementation of Title IX of the Education Amendment Act of 1972 and its supporting regulations, which is reflected most recently in the NAACP’s January 2019 opposition to proposed rule changes at the federal level that would have largely the same effects as the proposed Missouri legislation.

This letter came from Derrick Johnson, president of the national, which has taken a position against due process and in favor of “survivors of sexual assault at Missouri’s state universities to come forward with their claims.” The non sequitur aside, there being no rational connection between an accuser coming forward and an accused being afforded due process in the adjudication of the heinous accusation, unless one’s sole concern is that false accusers might be dissuaded from attack if they realize their claims will be challenged and their accusations might not automatically prevail, the NAACP put the feelings of women over the rights of black men to fair treatment.

But Gaskin? He did the unthinkable. He used his position as St. Louis chapter president to support law that would entitle black men, all men, all people, to due process. Outrageous.

St. Louis County NAACP President John Gaskin III in a statement praised a House bill that supporters say is aimed at making procedures for handling Title IX complaints more fair for the accused. Title IX is a federal law that bans sex-based discrimination in education, including sexual harassment and rape.

“The denial of due process at Missouri’s colleges disproportionately impacts African American men,” Gaskin said, “And that’s why we call for immediate due process reforms.”

How bad are the numbers?

[I]n 2014, OCR’s Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) department released data compiled from its study of all public, private, elementary and secondary educational institutions. The study emphasized that students of color tend to be disciplined more than three times as much as their white peers. Additionally, African Americans, who only comprised 15 percent of the CRDC student study, represented 35 percent of all suspensions and 36 percent of all expulsions.

Note the date, 2014, when Catherine Lhamon was still running OCR and more than happy to throw black lives away for the sake of her sexual agenda. But then, it was understandable that she cared nothing for the black males sacrificed to her cause, because it was her cause. But the NAACP? Since when are they in the business of sacrificing black men for the sake of women’s feelings?

Given the importance of these issues to the NAACP and the communities we represent, I have
concluded that the conduct described above is inimical to the best interests of the Association
and presents a danger of irreparable harm to the Association and the St. Louis County Branch. Moreover, I have concluded that immediate action is necessary to mitigate that harm.

The “irreparable harm” certainly can’t relate to the black males being suspended and expelled from college despite being denied due process, unless the NAACP is now in the business of destroying black lives for the sake of fragile women. So what could conceivably be important enough about these issues that it necessitated this command?

You are directed to cease and desist immediately from holding yourself out as President of the St. Louis County Branch of the NAACP.

The only possible answer is that what’s right for black males would undermine the alliances of the left.

Some black political and civic leaders nationally and locally have rejected partisan politics and summoned the gumption to stand for constitutionally guaranteed due process rights even if it’s at odds with Democratic loyalties. Incidences of discrimination at colleges and universities have become so alarmingly high that the St. Louis County branch of the NAACP recently announced its support for legislation that would change how colleges and universities handle sexual assault complaints.

There is a price to be paid for creating and maintaining alliances, Democratic “loyalties,” in the face of inherently contradictory and untenable ideology. If the NAACP wants the support of women for its cause, it has to sacrifice black men to theirs. The mantra needs some adjustment: it’s not that black lives don’t matter, but that they don’t matter enough to be worthy of due process if it pisses off the women.

Poor John Gaskin III thought his job as president was to do what was right for black people. The national NAACP just smacked him down and threw him under the bus. By doing so, it showed its true colors. Yet another black man sacrificed to the cause, this time by the NAACP.

H/T Tim Cushing