BY CAROL VAUGHN, Eastern Shore Post —
Jane G. Cabarrus, the longtime president of the Northampton County Branch of the NAACP, announced that she will not be a candidate for another term as president in the organization’s upcoming election, slated for Nov. 16.
Cabarrus, who has experienced a health setback recently, said in an interview last week that she needs to focus on healing for now.
Still, she wants Eastern Shore residents to know she does not intend to stop being involved in initiatives for the betterment of the community.
She said, “I am a life member of the NAACP and plan to continue working toward the goals we have to build community unity. I will continue being a bridge builder.”
Cabarrus thanked the community for its ongoing support of annual events including the Community Unity celebration in Northampton County, held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Juneteenth; and Earth Day, among others.
She was the first, and to date the only, woman to be elected president of the Northampton Branch, NAACP, which was chartered in 1958.
Cabarrus also currently is Region 1 Director for the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP. The region includes Northampton and Accomack counties.
The recipient of numerous local, state, and national awards, Cabarrus over the years has spearheaded many outreach efforts, including in the areas of crime, drug, gang, and violence prevention; healthcare; race relations; get-out-the-vote; housing; and education.
Among those honors was the National NAACP Thalheimer’s Award for Outstanding Achievement, given her for uncovering third-world conditions in Bayview.
Cabarrus is the daughter of the late Lloyd and Annie Giddens, of Weirwood, and is the youngest of their seven children. She is the mother of one daughter, Tracy, a son-in-law, George, and one grandson, Levin.
She has dedicated her life to serving the Shore community.
The Northampton County Branch NAACP will hold its election on Monday, Nov. 16, from 7 to 11 p.m. Voting will be conducted electronically via ElectionBuddy.
Members in good standing and eligible to vote will receive an electronic ballot with instructions for casting their vote during the designated election period.
Cabarrus, despite her current health challenge, continues to think about her community and its future.
She urged NAACP and community members to continue “our tradition of bridge building, because none of us are free until all of us are free.”
