Advocate Online

Special Notice

In practice and in policy, the National Education Association has a history of supporting diversity in leadership. In 1964, NEA began eradicating racial segregation throughout its affiliates and staff, and in 1966 the Association merged with the all-Black American Teachers Association.

For many years, as part of the effort to integrate the Association, NEA’s policies guaranteed governance representation for ethnic minorities. However, throughout the ’80s the Association had to amend several policies in order to comply with the Landrum Griffin Act, which made it illegal to guarantee minority representation. One such policy was amended in 1988.

In 1988 the NEA Representative Assembly adopted the following affirmative action policy regarding the Association presidency:

NEA Constitution, Article IV, Section 4. Affirmative Action Procedure.

By December 1 of each membership year immediately preceding the next membership year in which a presidential election is to be held (i.e., approximately 18 months prior to the date of the election), appropriate information about the office of president and the electoral process, including all relevant timelines, shall be sent to each of the ethnic-minority special interest groups identified in Bylaw 12; and

During the membership year in which the aforesaid presidential election is to be held, a copy of this section of the Constitution, with an appropriate explanation as to its background and intent, shall be included in (a) an Association publication sent to all members by December 1 and (b) the material that is sent to the delegates to that year’s Representative Assembly.

If after any period of eleven (11) consecutive membership years a member of an ethnic-minority group has not served as President, the Association shall take such steps as may be legally permissible to elect a member of an ethnic-minority group.

During the debate at the 1988 Representative Assembly, John Wilson, a North Carolina delegate speaking in favor of the amendment, aptly summarized the intent of this policy:

“ …Fellow delegates, last year we had to remove a part of our Constitution that guaranteed that at the end of 11 years if an ethnic minority were not elected president, that nominations would be limited to an ethnic minority…even though we had to eliminate that guarantee, we shouldn't eliminate our affirmative action commitment to assuring that our organization will reflect the diversity of our membership.…

It is an affirmative action amendment. It guarantees information, it guarantees accessibility, but it does not guarantee that anyone will be elected unless the delegates so choose to do that.”

In accordance with the above provision, this message serves as a reminder of the Association’s continued commitment to diversity in leadership.

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