Drake University unveiled a bronze statue of Johnny Bright on October 16, 2026. The NAACP, which has stood with Drake on this history since 2006, applauds the honor.

Des Moines Branch member Diogenes “Dio” Ayala has been named to the inaugural 2026 NAACP Advancement List in the Education category.

Des Moines Branch leaders expanded their service across the Iowa-Nebraska State Area Conference and the national NAACP during a summer of elections, convention learning and leadership development.

The May 22 opening of Fire Station 4 honored Milford Fonza and created an opportunity to preserve the long history of Black firefighters and NAACP-led integration efforts in Des Moines.

Longtime Des Moines NAACP leader Jacquie Easley McGhee has been appointed Women in NAACP Region IV Coordinator, extending decades of local leadership into a regional role.

The Des Moines Branch marked 110 years of advocacy at its 48th Annual Freedom Fund Banquet under the theme “Legacy to Leadership: The Fierce Urgency of Now.”

When disaster strikes, our communities in Iowa are too often left out—left out of preparedness planning, left out of response decisions, and left behind in recovery. From derechos and floods to public health crises and acts of violence, we’ve seen what happens when systems fail us. The Community Preparedness Network (CPN) changes that. A System by Us, for Us Led by the NAACP Des Moines Branch, the Emergency Preparedness & Community Resilience Plan is the first-of-its-kind, e

The WIN committee is continuing our advocacy for children in the foster care system with a Hair Care & Hygiene Drive to collect culturally appropriate hair and skin‐care products for Black children and other children of color. Children in foster care often lack texture‑appropriate products; in 2024, 26.5 % of children referred into foster care in the Des Moines service area were Black, yet 84 % of foster families were not . Many caregivers may not be familiar with the uniqu

We believe that to THRIVE in the Des Moines Metro, every citizen must have equitable access to justice, housing, healthcare, transportation, living-wage employment, and a culturally inclusive, globally competitive education that prepares our young and emerging leaders. This fall, our city faces a defining choice about that last piece, education. For the first time since 1989, Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) is asking voters to approve a bond that will modernize our schoo

In 1917, Fort Des Moines became a national milestone as the country’s first and only World War I officer training camp for African...

When the U.S. War Department established the officer training camp at Fort Des Moines in 1917, it was not only a turning point in...

Among the men who seized the opportunity to earn commissions as military officers in 1917 were members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity,...

In 1917, a determined cohort from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the nation’s first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity for...

As the first training site for African American officers in the U.S. Army, Ft. Des Moines drew courageous men from across the country:...

Colonel Charles Young's military career is a testament to resilience, leadership, and the relentless pursuit of equality. As the third...

Long before words like “diversity” and “equity” became common in military policy, Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley was already living them...

As we approach the unveiling of the historic marker at Fort Des Moines, it's essential to recognize the remarkable individuals who...

Samuel Joe Brown: Soldier. Scholar. Strategist. Statesman. The legacy of Samuel Joe Brown (1875–1950) is etched across the legal, civil...

As we prepare to honor one of Iowa’s most significant contributions to civil rights and military history, the NAACP Des Moines...

African-American captains at Fort Des Moines on Oct. 15, 1917. Photographer: Hebard Showers, Des Moines. (Photo: State Historical Society...