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Plans In Works For NAACP Branch In Mostly White Detroit Suburbs

GROSSE POINTE (WWJ/AP) - Plans are in the works to form a branch of the NAACP in the mostly white Grosse Pointe suburbs of Detroit that would produce fine arts programs, arrange area youth activities and foster community-wide conversations about issues involving race.

Grosse Pointe resident Greg Bowens and Grosse Pointe Park resident Elaine Flowers are behind the effort, according to a report in the Detroit Free Press. The two are seeking to recruit at least 50 people willing to pay dues to start a new NAACP chapter. A meeting is planned for Sept. 23.

An aim of the chapter of the civil rights organization is to promote diversity and tolerance in the five Grosse Pointe communities and Harper Woods.

Nearby Detroit is mostly black and has its own NAACP chapter. Organizers expect, however, that most members of the Grosse Pointe chapter would be white.

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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