MISSION: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, (NAACP) is the oldest, largest and strongest civil rights organization in the United States. The principle objective of the NAACP is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority group citizens of the United States. The NAACP is committed to achievement through non-violence and relies upon the free press, the petition, the ballot and the courts. We are persistent in the use of legal and moral persuasion even in the face of overt and violent racial hostility.

The NAACP was formed in 1909 in New York City by a group of black and white citizens committed to helping to right social injustices. Today the NAACP is a network of more than 2,200 branches, consisting of more than 500,000 members covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Japan, and Germany. We are divided into seven regions and are managed and governed by a National Board of Directors. The NAACP is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.

We, The Greater Waterbury Branch of the NAACP consist of thirteen towns: Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oakville, Plymouth, Prospect, Southbury, Thomaston, Torrington, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott and Woodbury in Connecticut.

We are an advocacy organization that provides a forum for civil rights policies to be discussed and debated. We are an organization of the people and by the people . We are a special ~ a brew of diverse perspectives, cultures and ideas ~ we serve to enlighten our communities' understanding of the many complex issues facing our communities and country. This branch, understands the significance of "… that all men " have the unalienable rights to " …the pursuit of happiness". Armed with that understanding we peacefully, vigilantly and relentlessly seek equal rights, no racial hatred or racial discrimination.