The Long Island chapter of the NAACP held a luncheon in Woodbury Saturday, where the group's president and CEO Cornell Brooks said the future is bright.
Brooks addressed protecting voting rights, along with so-called "raise the age" legislation and police accountability during his remarks - specifically crediting Long Islanders and all New Yorkers for making their voices heard and seeking justice in the 2014 death of Eric Garner.
"If we can do accountable community policing on Staten Island and New York, we can make it happen anywhere in the country," said Brooks.
Elected officials and community members packed the Crest Hollow Country Club for the opportunity to hear Brooks speak.
With more than 500,000 members, including 11 chapters on Long Island, Brooks emphasized that the organization doesn't paint with a narrow brush, and is interested in the betterment of any individual who is seeking equal rights. "The NAACP is for the advancement of colored people... that means people of all colors, every color," he said.