Earlier this month, the Chapel Hill/Carrboro NAACP was awarded State Branch of the Year honors at the North Carolina NAACP State Convention.

The convention featured speeches by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, U.S. Senator Cory Booker, and journalist Roland Martin.

Chapel Hill/Carrboro NAACP Vice President James Williams called the award exciting and well-earned.

“I think there’s something like 60 or 70 branches of the NAACP here in North Carolina, and for this branch to win out over all of those branches is something to be proud of,” said Williams.

Williams said that one of the key focuses at the convention was voter suppression – an issue for which he claims North Carolina is “ground zero”.

“Even though there’s been a lot of success in the courts, it is not over,” said Williams. “A lot of attention, work and effort are still going towards addressing [voter suppression] because if there’s one thing we know about this legislature it’s that they don’t give up, they keep coming back, they keep shape-shifting and trying to come at you in some different form.”

Williams cites the ACLU and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice as instrumental allies in the continuing fight against what he calls the state legislature’s unconstitutional gerrymandering and voter-suppression tactics.

Williams and the rest of the Chapel Hill/Carrboro NAACP are currently advocating for the naming of December 6 as “Abolition Day,” commemorating the day in 1865 that the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery was ratified. The NAACP is also planning events for this February, to celebrate Frederick Douglass’ 200th birthday.

Related Stories
‹
Local NAACP Branch To Celebrate 75th Anniversary in October
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro branch of the NAACP will celebrate its 75th anniversary in October. The branch is planning several events during that month to commemorate its founding, and announced a tentative schedule on Tuesday. On October 8, the branch will host an Umoja (the Swahili word for “unity”) Read-In, which will “celebrate the culture, cuisine […]
Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP Turns to Motorcade to Celebrate HKonJ Rally
Facing challenges caused by the pandemic, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP used a motorcade to celebrate the annual HKonJ rally in the local area. The Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HKonJ) People’s Assembly Coalition is made up of the more than 125 NAACP branches, youth councils, and college chapters in North Carolina, as well as members of over […]
Deadline for Local NAACP's College Scholarships Fast Approaching
The last semester of senior year of high school is wrapping up, and many students might already know what their next steps will be after graduation. In other words, an epidemic of ‘senioritis’ might be sweeping the graduating class of 2019. But for many local students going off to college, the worry now is, ‘how […]
Poor People's Campaign Continues in North Carolina Ahead of National Rally
For the fifth week in a row, citizens involved with the Poor People’s Campaign were arrested at North Carolina’s legislative building last week. Participants gathered in the building to disrupt a Senate meeting while some sat in House Speaker Tim Moore’s office to protest. Others stayed out in the street, holding signs and calling for […]
Demonstrators Gather in Peace and Justice Plaza
Demonstrators gathered in Chapel Hill’s Peace and Justice Plaza yesterday for what was deemed “A More Perfect Union”. With Silent Sam looming in the background, Chapel Hill/Carrboro NAACP, the Community Church of Chapel Hill and others originally planned to gather for a counter protest of White Nationalist leader Richard Spencer’s would-be appearance on campus. Although […]
Celebration of Independence Day to Alter Local Government Services in Orange County
The celebration of Independence Day on Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4 will affect several local government services in and around Orange County. Here’s a look at what typical services will and won’t be happening during the weekend: Town of Chapel Hill All Chapel Hill administrative offices will be closed Friday, July 3, as […]
Drone Shows and Parades: Here's What to Know Before Orange County's July 4 Celebrations
A variety of July 4 festivities are set to take place across Orange County. Here's how local governments are celebrating.
Chapel Hill Man Wins $200,000 Lottery Prize on Scratch-Off Ticket
Kevin Valdez of Chapel Hill won the top prize of $200,000 on a $5 scratch-off ticket, the North Carolina Education Lottery said in a release Wednesday. Valdez bought his lucky ticket for the Cash King game from the Short Stop convenience store on West Main Street in Carrboro. He arrived at lottery headquarters in Raleigh […]
Juneteenth Holiday to Affect Local Government Services Around Orange County
Across the country on Friday, Black Americans and communities will celebrate Juneteenth — the national recognition of when the final slaves were freed in the 19th century and of African-American culture. As a holiday, government services around the Orange County community will be affected on June 19 and the surrounding days. Here’s what residents can […]
Local Government Meetings: June 15-19, 2026
This week in local government: a proposed AI moratorium in Durham and a board appointment (maybe) in Chatham County.
›