Larry Nelson was settled into retirement. But when given the opportunity to step up as the president of NAACP Vancouver, he felt there was still important work to be done.
Nelson was officially elected as the new president of the Vancouver chapter Jan. 4, following the nonprofit’s 2024 election. He will succeed Yolanda Frazier, who served the organization for two years.
Nelson, a Vancouver resident for more than 30 years, served the city of Portland under five different mayoral administrations throughout his career. Although his time as a public servant officially ended in 2020, his dedication to the community made returning to this field feel like the right choice, he said.
“My feelings as a public servant — that’s what drove me back,” Nelson said. “I’m looking at marginalized communities of color and how they’ve been treated. I’ve fought that fight over in Portland, but I’ve never really fought it in my own city.”
Historically, the NAACP has advocated for political, educational, social and economic equality rights for all across the United States.
That mission is still just as relevant today, Nelson said.
He saw the need for this type of work to continue across Clark County, especially within the upcoming generation of young people.
“I looked at it as an opportunity to help the kids out here — to let them know they have a voice and that we’re here to protect them, protect their civil rights and their civil liberties,” Nelson said.
NAACP Vancouver Vice President Bridgette Fahnbulleh said the organization will be very busy over the next four years.
“I admire Larry’s approach. He seems to really understand the mission and assignment,” Fahnbulleh said. “The NAACP will be very busy defending the mission we have, which is to unite all mankind. I couldn’t pick a better person to be president of our Vancouver branch.”
Community connection
Nelson has a deep-rooted connection to Clark County. During World War II, his grandparents moved to Vancouver to work at the Kaiser Shipyard.
“That was when NAACP was established out here in Vancouver, to assist them with discrimination and injustice that was happening out here back then,” Nelson said.
He grew up in Minneapolis but moved to Vancouver in 1989. His career in public service included working with five Portland mayors in various capacities.
“That’s kind of where I got my start cutting my teeth,” Nelson said. “I always had the view of a public servant.”
A month before the COVID-19 pandemic, Nelson retired. But shortly after, he began serving on NAACP Vancouver’s board of directors before making the transition into his current role as president.
Nelson said he looks forward to carrying on Frazier’s legacy and vision for the nonprofit.
“I knew she was going to transition out, so to speak, and she trusted me with carrying on the legacy of the NAACP,” he said.
Nelson’s vision
Nelson wants to tackle various community issues during his tenure, including racial discrimination, wealth equity, affordable housing, homelessness and unemployment.
His vision for NAACP Vancouver includes advancing racial justice and advocacy, strengthening local efforts to combat systemic racism, and promoting equity and policies in practices across the city.
“We will do that by collaborating with city and county leaders to create actionable plans for criminal justice reform,” he said.
NAACP Vancouver already collaborates with various nonprofit groups in Clark County, including The Foundation, Odyssey World International Education Services, Council for the Homeless and LULAC.
Nelson wants to not only strengthen those relationships but also work in tandem to serve more people in the community.
Another relationship on which he’s focusing is between NAACP Vancouver and local law enforcement. Nelson said he hopes to increase advocacy for accountability and transparency within law enforcement practices.
“I want to build upon what my predecessor has done,” he said. “We have a great relationship with the police chief. If you have a trust factor with the police chief, with the county sheriff, then you can have a difficult conversation and nobody will be worse for the wear.”
Nelson said the organization will begin hosting quarterly town halls to engage community members and collect feedback on racial justice initiatives.
In addition, NAACP Vancouver wants to reduce racial disparities within wealth, employment and housing, especially within communities of color, Nelson said.
“The homelessness issue is a big deal, especially for people of color. A lot of landlords are taking advantage of the situation and kicking people out with nowhere else to go,” he said. “We want to work with the Council for the Homeless to alleviate the issue.”
Cultural impact
NAACP Vancouver’s partner agency ACT-SO — the Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics — is a free, yearlong program to encourage high academic and cultural achievement among Black high school students.
This is the third year the Vancouver branch has run the program, which was founded in 1978 by author and journalist Vernon Jarrett.
Fahnbulleh also serves as the CEO of Clark County ACT-SO.
“The idea is to be seen — to see other successful people who look like you,” Fahnbulleh said. “The main thing we heard from working with Black youth is that they felt invisible in their schools. This is one of the reasons why we formed ACT-SO, because it is culturally specific.”
Students can sign up for the ACT-SO program by visiting www.naacpvancouverwa.org/act-so.
Nelson will be sworn in as the NAACP Vancouver president at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Community A.M.E. Zion Church, 3605 E. 13th St., Vancouver.
Karen Morrison, executive director of Vancouver nonprofit Odyssey World International Education Services, will lead the ceremony.
“I am honored to be the one to swear him in,” Morrison said. “He’s a beautiful soul.”
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