This interview appears in the April 2021 issue of Town&Gown.
Now with more than 2,200 units and branches, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country. As the largest civil rights organization in the nation, its mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
The State College chapter of NAACP was established in
December 2019, with Lorraine Jones serving as president. She is responsible for raising community awareness of policies and practices of discrimination, racial inequity, and other violations of civil rights. She is also responsible for responding to referrals from community members needing advocacy, and improving the political, educational, social, and economic status of racially marginalized community members.