Rooted in Colorado Springs. Committed to Equality.
Since 1918, the NAACP Colorado Springs Branch has been part of the Pikes Peak region’s pursuit of civil rights and equal opportunity. We bring community members, advocates, and partners together to confront racial discrimination, promote fairness, and help build a Colorado Springs where everyone can thrive.
Our Mission
As part of the NAACP, our branch works to achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion. We advance policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and strengthen the well-being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color. Locally, we pursue this mission through community advocacy, public education, civic participation, and partnerships.
Civil Rights & Advocacy
Encouraging fair treatment, accountability, equal opportunity, and awareness of civil rights throughout our community.
Education & Opportunity
Supporting educational equity and opportunities for local students, including through scholarship fundraising.
Community & Connection
Bringing neighbors together through civic engagement, outreach, education, and events that advance justice.
Our History in Colorado Springs
The NAACP Colorado Springs Branch was organized at Payne Chapel in August 1918 and chartered later that year. The Rev. A. Wayman Ward, pastor of Payne Chapel, was the branch’s first president.
In the 1930s and 1940s, local civil rights advocates including Kimbal Stroud Goffman and Charles Banks challenged segregation and discrimination. In 1947, Charles Banks helped lead peaceful sit-ins, and NAACP-backed lawsuits contested discriminatory practices at local businesses.
Those efforts are part of our region’s history and inspire our commitment to civil rights today.
Our Work Today
Our branch continues this tradition through advocacy, education, community involvement, and efforts to expand opportunity in the Pikes Peak region. We welcome people from every background who share a commitment to dignity, equity, and civil rights.
Join Us in Advancing Justice
Become a member, participate in branch events, or support local civil rights advocacy and educational opportunity.
Historical sources: Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum: NAACP; Charles Banks; Smithsonian portrait record.