Before she quite had the language to describe it, Deanna King knew the importance of community. Growing up in the Hillcrest neighborhood, where her family was among the first residents of color, instilled in King the concept of loving thy neighbor and taking care of one another. From her grandmother, she learned perseverance; from her mother, compassion; and from her father, tenacity. As she steps into her new role as the NAACP H. Boyd Hall Branch 6168 President, those traits are clearer than ever.
For most of her career, King’s advocacy and public service work was more behind the scenes, until she joined the local NAACP branch in 2021. Ignited by the desire to fight against division and discrimination in Corpus Christi, King’s leadership of the organization will be shaped by her intrinsic desire to be a voice for the underrepresented.
Kylie Cooper: As the new president of the Corpus Christi NAACP, what does the next chapter for the organization look like?
Deanna King: As the new NAACP H. Boyd Hall Branch 6168 President, I want to bring back to Corpus Christi a sense of unity, integrity and humanity by reaching across the aisles to connect with other groups of people and organizations. We have more in common than we think.
Unity brings peace to our lives, and living in a community where you know others care about your well-being makes life a little easier. Integrity involves trust. People want to know that what you say is the truth, and they want to believe that the truth is being told. Humanity is crucial to life. As the golden rule says, we must treat others as we want to be treated.
We are all interconnected. Right now, a person is supplying us with food. Another person is driving a truck to get the food to us. We may never meet that person, but we know they exist. Do we think about what ethnic group the person is from who is supplying our food? Or driving the truck? I would hope not. We are just happy to be eating because many people are not.
Unity, integrity and a show of humanity for us is crucial to all of our livelihoods in order to live in harmony. It is possible for Corpus Christi to be that example again.
KC: You previously served in several positions within the branch. What lessons from those roles will guide your leadership?
DK: I have served as a Political Action Chair, 2nd Vice President, 1st Vice President and now the President. I have learned to continue to be patient, continue to listen to others and to not be afraid to get into “good trouble,” as our late Congressman John Lewis would say. I joined the NAACP to be a voice for others whose voices are not being heard. It is my calling to help humanity to the best of my abilities.
KC: In your position, how do you balance honoring the NAACP’s long history while also evolving to meet today’s challenges?
DK: It is an honor to serve as the current President. I do not take my role lightly. At times, I feel as though I am not doing enough. During these times, more discrimination is occurring. It is right in front of our faces—by the examples from environmental racism, removing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, book banning, to removing Black history from archives and studies. It is a constant challenge to ensure that the NAACP is doing all that we can to combat racism and discrimination in any shape or form. Personally, I just want [our branch] to meet the needs of the underrepresented, as representatives of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
KC: Are you more motivated by policy change, cultural change or community change—and how do those intersect in your work?
DK: I am motivated by policy, cultural and community changes. It means that we are doing our jobs when any policies are changed for the better, which affects our culture and our communities.
KC: How can the community support you and the NAACP’s mission?
DK: The mission statement of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to achieve equity, political rights and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination and accelerate the well-being, education and economic security of Black people and all persons of color. To accomplish this mission, we need community support by attending our functions, donating to causes that support our mission and joining with us in speaking out against any forms of discrimination, even when the discrimination does not affect you directly. Change will only come when “we the people” demand change.
KC: When you walk into a room now as president, what responsibility do you feel most strongly?
DK: When I walk into any room holding [this] title, I am responsible for walking out of that room believing that I have made a difference for the people whom I represent, and for the people in the room to understand the reason I am there, which is to make positive changes.
KC: What does “progress” look like to you in a city like Corpus Christi?
DK: To me, progress in Corpus Christi looks like the majority of us having a better understanding that we are all different in many ways, but our differences do not have to divide us.
KC: In your position, how do you balance honoring the NAACP’s long history while also evolving to meet today’s challenges?
DK: It is an honor to serve as the current President. I do not take my role lightly. At times, I feel as though I am not doing enough. During these times, more discrimination is occurring. It is right in front of our faces—by the examples from environmental racism, removing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, book banning, to removing Black history from archives and studies. It is a constant challenge to ensure that the NAACP is doing all that we can to combat racism and discrimination in any shape or form. Personally, I just want [our branch] to meet the needs of the underrepresented, as representatives of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
KC: Let’s talk about the youth council. What gives you the most hope when you look at the next generation of leaders?
DK: NAACP H. Boyd Hall Branch 6168 has a youth council, which is separate from the adult branch, but they do have a seat at our table. The Youth Council is led by Thea Cain and Tanis Pettis. They give them tasks, from a youth’s and young adult’s point-of-view, to develop ideas that will positively help this community. Their ideas are incredible. They are a very intelligent group who will be our future leaders. I am so proud of each and every one of them.
KC: Advocacy work can be heavy. What sustains you when the work feels difficult
DK: I was raised in a local Baptist church, and my faith in God keeps me going spiritually, emotionally and personally. When I have good days, I thank God. When I have bad days, I pray to God to fix those days and to fix any future problems I may not see coming. As I walk by faith, not by sight (2nd Corinthians 5:7). For I know the plans God has for me, declares the LORD, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
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