Newly elected Georgia NAACP President Gwenette Westbrooks outlines goals

Westbrooks has served as President of the NAACP Macon Branch for nearly 13 years.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Macon NAACP Branch President Gwenette Westbrooks was promoted by her peers over the weekend, and elected President of the Georgia NAACP State Conference.

“The people that voted for me gave me confidence that they wanted to move to the next chapter,” Westbrooks said. “So, I was just so elated that they chose me to be their next state president.”

Westbrooks has served as president of the local branch for nearly 13 years. She says she got involved with the NAACP in 1999 after experiencing discrimination. At the time, she says she didn’t envision herself in a leadership role.

“When I reached out to them, they were there to support me,” Westbrooks said. “So, I vowed that I would give back. I wanted to give back, and I’ve been giving back ever since.”

She says increasing access to and awareness of existing resources for those living with mental illnesses will be a top priority in her new role. According to Westbrooks, a lack of mental health awareness is what contributes directly to conditions inside the Bibb County Jail and others in Georgia.

“We have to find other ways to make sure these people are not incarcerated and it overcrowds the jail when they really need to be somewhere else getting the help they need,” Westbrooks said. 

She credited former president Gerald Griggs with protecting the rights of voters in recent years and says that fight will continue. As a former hospital and Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) employee, Westbrooks says it’s vitally important to stand up for those losing access to healthcare.

“I know the difference in how people are treated when they don’t have healthcare,” Westbrooks said. “They’re not treated the same. So, that’s one of the things that we have to make sure we continue to fight for.”

She adds that education among Georgia’s youth is a vital part of the future.

“If they won’t let us teach it in the schools, then we’ve got to find other means to reach our young people and make sure they know where they came from,” Westbrooks said. “You can’t appreciate something that you don’t know.”

Willie Dumas, the current Vice President of the NAACP Macon Branch, will replace Westbrooks as president.