Toledo native Darlene Sweeney-Newbern is fired up. As of January 1, she assumed her new position as the president of the Toledo chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Newbern has much to contend with and she brings years of experience in fighting for marginalized people.
“I was discriminated against my entire life; while I couldn’t put it into perspective then, I could understand that there were differences back then. [Activism] is just something that’s in my blood,” Sweeney-Newbern explains.
Building a career and a reputation
After high school, Sweeney-Newbern attended college, focusing on computer programming, and she was a public school teacher and an instructor at Stautzenberger College. It was a Career Fair at the college that the trajectory of the young teacher’s life was redirected. The Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC) was participating in the Fair, looking for employees.
“I learned that there was an agency out there that allowed you to have a voice and to fight for the people. I was ready,” Sweeney-Newbern relates.
The Toledo-born activist began with the OCRC as an investigator and rose through the ranks to eventually become second in command of regional operations. After 33 years with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission she retired. During her OCRC tenure Sweeney-Newbern also sat on the executive board of the Toledo NAACP as the legal redress chair, where she continued her advocacy for marginalized communities.
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In 2017 Sweeney-Newbern led the OCRC’s investigation into racist activity at Toledo’s General Motors transmission plant after nooses were hung at work stations and “Whites Only” signs were found in restrooms. After a nine month investigation, the commission found that GM had allowed a racially hostile environment to exist. GM appealed the decision which was upheld.
According to Sweeney-Newbern, after that investigation, she received calls from across the nation seeking help in dealing with racial matters in the workplace, solidifying her reputation, locally and nationally, as a knowledgeable resource regarding civil rights violations in the workplace.
Continuing the ‘good fight’
As president of Toledo Chapter of the NAACP, Sweeney-Nebern continues to address workplace challenges — challenges she’s ready to meet head-on.
Sweeney-Newbern advises that despite attempts to abolish Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts that laws prohibiting discrimination in the hiring process are still in place and that educating people is a top priority for her in her role as president of the Toledo NAACP.
“People have to be educated…This is not a time for me to be conciliatory. This is a time to demand respect. This is the time to demand all those promises of equality from so long ago are kept,” Sweeney-Newbern said, adding, “The NAACP was cofounded by both black and white (people), We’re trying to get everyone in the fight together…We are going to burst the bloated belly of bigotry here in Ohio, particularly in Toledo, and we are going to do this as one unit– with people from all races.”
With six siblings, Sweeney-Newbern grew up having to speak up when she had something to say. As president of the Toledo NAACP, her goal is to say it loud and proud for everyone to hear.
Monthly Toledo Chapter NAACP membership meetings take place on the third Tuesday of each month at 5pm at the African American Legacy Project 1326 Collingwood Blvd. Sweeney-Newbern urges every concerned citizen, regardless of race, to join.
