MAIN REASONS FOR TEENS JOINING NAACP ARE LEARNING ABOUT HERITAGE AND RACE

New York and California youths share views while at national convention.

When two white Children's Express members attended the national NAACP convention here in July, they didn't know what to expect. They were afraid that the black participants might resent white people, because of how badly whites have treated blacks in this country.

But everyone was friendly and spoke to them, and they soon forgot all about being white or black.

Here are excerpts from their interviews with four teen-age members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Lexer Quamie, 15, and Michael Bather, 14, are from Brooklyn, N.Y.; and David Simon, 17, and Sherondel Harden, 16, are from Alameda County, just north of San Jose, Calif.

DAVID: Why kids should be involved in the NAACP is very simple. Kids should start learning at a young age about their race, about things that are going on, not to be prejudiced against any race, creed or color, but to be aware that there are struggles, and without struggle, there is no strength.

SHERONDEL: This will also help you understand that as you are young, you still can make a difference in the world and the community.

And also, (it's) a better way to meet people. . . . It'll help you talk to people more easily.

LEXER: My personal reason for entering the Brooklyn Youth Council (was that) I heard about it through a friend.

I attend a predominately white school. Being one of three black students in a grade, it was very hard for me to get involved with other black students and to find out about upcoming events.

For obvious reasons, I wanted to be involved with other people I can identify with, on the basis of color and our past, where we're going, our future.

MICHAEL: I wanted to do community service. But then I started learning more about it and I started to think it was fun.

LEXER: (The NAACP is) sponsoring programs on going back to school, on teen pregnancy, and drug problems. They've been giving out pamphlets all week about teen-age drinking and sex.

They're just trying to educate us. And I think by being informed . . . we can get rid of ignorance and get rid of the problems we have in our community.

DAVID: The number one solution to all of those problems seems to be education, because with education, you have an idea of where you're going. You have self-esteem. . . .

If you are aware of yourself, I don't believe that any black person who realizes what their potential is would join a gang or become a gang member. . . .

You see role models in the NAACP. That's what we can do for gang members.

LEXER: The neighborhood we're based in is not the richest, so the families there, the children, they don't really get the chance to go out and do (things) - to go to these gospel extravaganzas, which we hold (for them), and fairs and African dancing and drummers.

It's very nice for them to see that and be exposed to that.

SHERONDEL: Everybody thinks the NAACP is just pro-black, pro-radical. It's that, (but) also it's just a learning experience. It's something where you learn more about yourself. It's where you can be more active and stuff. . . .

If you join a group like the NAACP, you can learn how to talk to people and realize what they're like.

It helps you to just understand other people instead of just coming out and being racist and stereotyping people off the bat.

DAVID: I'd say that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is just that - an association for the advancement of colored people. . . .

We will keep struggling and striving to make our people equal, until there is that day of total equality.

We don't feel that that day is here.