Remember When: The Founding of the NAACP

On this day in 1909, a group of Black leaders, journalists, educators, and allies came together to form what would become one of the most influential civil rights organizations in American history: the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

The NAACP was founded in response to widespread racial violence, voter suppression, and the systematic denial of equal protection under the law. Its creation was not symbolic — it was strategic. From the beginning, the organization focused on using the courts, public advocacy, and grassroots organizing to challenge injustice and expand democracy.

Over more than a century, the NAACP has played a central role in landmark legal victories, including the fight to end segregation in public schools, protect voting rights, and dismantle discriminatory laws that excluded millions of Americans from full participation in civic life. Its work reminds us that progress has never been automatic — it has required persistence, courage, and collective action.

February is Black History Month, and the story of the NAACP is a reminder that Black history is not confined to the past. It is a living record of people organizing, resisting, and demanding that the country live up to its promises. The freedoms many Americans rely on today were secured because ordinary people refused to accept injustice as inevitable.

Remembering the founding of the NAACP is not just about honoring history. It’s about recognizing that democracy is strongest when people stay engaged, protect the right to vote, and hold institutions accountable — generation after generation.