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.”

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...

This past weekend, Des Moines was a powerful display of what it means to lead, serve, and thrive as a community. The NAACP Des Moines...

Freedom Fighters, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. In recognition of the month, a special movement to erase the stigma of mental...

Greetings! Today we wish our Muslim brothers and sisters Ramadan Mubarak, or Blessed Ramadan. For those of you who are not familiar,...

Freedom Fighters, In 1980, Frances Louise Dancy Hooks and Earleen Bolden organized the trailblazing Women in the NAACP (WIN). This...