During his induction ceremony shortly after the new year began, Rev. Willie L. Perryman, Jr., the new president of Toledo NAACP, told attendees that it’s time to lock arms, roll up sleeves, and “get the work done.”
“I promise to do the very best that I can,” Pastor Perryman said during the ceremony. “I want you to know that I will give you everything I’ve got on behalf of the citizens to whom we serve.”
Pastor Perryman, 61, is succeeding Ray Wood as president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Toledo chapter. Mr. Wood was first elected to the position in 2013 and declined to run for re-election in November, citing intentions to focus on spending time with his family.
“I think Pastor Perryman is going to take the baton and do very well,” Mr. Wood said.
The new president and current pastor at Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church was raised in central Toledo, he said, mostly by his mother, who died when he was 16. After that, he transferred schools, eventually graduating from DeVilbiss High School, and lived with other relatives, including his father.
Pastor Perryman’s focus at the time was on athletics, but he could not excel in sports the way he wanted. After graduation, he had an opportunity to attend college in Dallas, but that didn’t work out either, and he returned to Toledo to find a job.
“I never really recouped from losing my mother so young,” he said.
He felt the call to ministry and went back to school, ultimately receiving two doctorates from the Detroit campus of the Tennessee School of Religion and the Andersonville Theological Seminary in Georgia. A pastor for 29 years, Pastor Perryman previously served on the Toledo NAACP’s executive board and said he was approached about becoming president after Mr. Wood’s retirement.
“I’m certainly humbled by the opportunity,” he said.
His goals for the organization include both internal and external objectives. Internally, he wants to put together a board of advisers made up of people in the community to help guide him and his strategies, organize an executive board retreat at some point, and tweak the organization’s committee structure — which he believes is “excellent” — so committees can be more active.
Externally, the organization is working with community partners, Pastor Perryman said, to roll out a “Police to Kids” program designed to educate youths on how topics like staying active and safe, 911 services, cyber bullying, and who to trust, among others. Additionally, he wants to work with local law enforcement agencies to establish a youth academy for young people who want to pursue law-enforcement careers.
“People who look like us are not [patrolling] in our community,” Pastor Perryman said. “Let’s educate, let’s encourage people who look like us to go into law enforcement so they can patrol our neighborhoods.”
As coronavirus vaccine distribution continues, Pastor Perryman said he also wants Toledo NAACP to work with local agencies on educating people about the vaccine. And while many events and meetings have had to shift to virtual settings, he wants to open up the lines of communication with the community, through quarterly full membership meetings and a “State of the NAACP” address.
“The plate is full,” Pastor Perryman said about the workload.
He emphasized that the Toledo NAACP would be a listening organization and asked that the minority community be patient about the organization’s endeavors and be willing to have open and honest dialogues.
“I know it will be a challenge, trust me,” Pastor Perryman said.
Erika White, a member of the Toledo NAACP executive board and chairman of its health committee, said she would miss Mr. Wood but is excited for the future.
“There’s so much that’s happened in the last four years, and there’s a lot of work to be done,” she said.
Highlighting police reform, health care — including specifically the coronavirus vaccine — and national issues, Ms. White said she believes the organization is on a solid foundation to keep its mission moving forward with Pastor Perryman at the helm.
“We want to make sure we keep the community engaged,” she said.
Pastor Perryman said he sees his role as part of a bridge between the older, veteran activists and the younger generation of future activists. And despite his additional responsibilities, the pastor remains true to his original calling and considers his congregation a top priority.
“My first passion is pastoring and preaching and serving my congregation,” he said, and noted the overlap between his duty as a pastor and his duty as Toledo NAACP president. “Civil rights started in the black church.”
First Published January 12, 2021, 12:27 p.m.
