HISTORY EXPLAINED

Black history is American history, but far too often the contributions of Black Americans have been neglected and ignored. The long march to freedom and equality begins with knowing our people’s origins, struggles, and achievements.

LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING

“Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often called “The Black National Anthem,” was written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson and set to music by his brother, John Rosamond Johnson.

1900

“Lift Every Voice and Sing” was first performed in public on February 12, 1900, by a choir of 500 schoolchildren at the segregated Stanton School in Jacksonville, Florida.

Our history is that of strength and resilience… and it motivates us to greater achievements.

– Shawn McClain, President, NAACP Elizabeth Branch

CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS

We look to these heroes from our past for lessons and inspiration as we continue their important work into the future.

LEGISLATIVE MILESTONES

The NAACP and the Nextdoor Kind Foundation will award chosen U.S. small business owners of color microgrants from the Keep It Local Business Fund, in partnership with Hello Alice. The hope is that these microgrants light a spark within recipients to drive change in their community and inspire similar efforts in communities around the world — ultimately creating a movement of kindness rising.

THE ORIGINS OF MODERN DAY POLICING

White Americans used lynchings to terrorize and control Black people in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Learn more about the history of this brutal practice and how NAACP worked to end lynching.

THE ORIGINS OF MODERN DAY POLICING

America’s modern-day police mentality can be traced back to “slave patrols” created in the early 1700s to terrorize slave uprisings. Learn more about the racist roots of policing and why NAACP advocates for a smarter criminal justice system.

SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT

Donate to NAACP Elizabeth, NJ Branch today to help power the fight against structural racism and inequality.

JOIN THE FIGHT

You are critical to the hard, complex work of ending racial inequality.