Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/02/2004 | Editorial | Restored faith, erased a debt: "Kweisi Mfume was at the top of his game when he unexpectedly got out of politics to take over the NAACP. It wasn't just his personal story of overcoming poverty that made him popular. The Maryland congressman was articulate, smart, and a potential candidate for even higher office. But he heard another call.
Mfume became president and chief executive officer of the NAACP in 1996, leaving Congress after five terms to head an organization more than $3 million in debt. His predecessor, Ben Chavis, had resigned amid the scandal of a sexual-harassment allegation.
Within eight months Mfume had erased the debt, and the NAACP now has $15 million in reserves. But although it is a much stronger organization than the one Mfume inherited, not all is well.
Pre-election comments by NAACP board chairman Julian Bond criticizing President Bush have led to IRS threats to take away its tax-exempt status for engaging in politics. Such blatantly partisan retribution would be wrong, given the IRS "
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