The NAACP Eugene-Springfield Branch is celebrating 50 years of civil rights work with a Freedom Fund Dinner on Saturday, Aug. 29 at the Shedd. The branch started in 1976 as a volunteer organization without paid staff, a permanent office or established programs. Over five decades, its leaders and volunteers responded as civil rights issues facing Lane County changed.

Fifty years after local leaders established the NAACP Eugene-Springfield Branch, the organization is inviting the community to celebrate five decades of local civil rights work and help fund its next chapter.

"This is like a start of a great relationship whether or not they don't seek the preventative healthcare or if they have just a fear or an anxiety for it, the resources are here for you so we can connect you with someone that can advocate with you that can be a voice with you that can ensure that you're being heard," Lange said.

“Disengagement is dangerous, and low voter turnout is just one challenge we’re facing. Turnout alone is not enough if maps are unfair across the U.S. Fair maps are not enough if people do not vote. And without real representation, people are less likely to engage in voting or voter turnout activities. Oregon is not immune simply because our state has vote-by-mail and automatic voter registration.” — Demond Hawkins, President, NAACP Eugene-Springfield

“We have wonderful community members who have given us starts and different things so that we can do some education around food sustainability,” says Deborah Reynolds-Lange, interim executive director.

NAACP Eugene-Springfield has released a statement on policing and community safety following the resignation of a Eugene Police officer whose racist and offensive comments were recorded on the officer’s body-worn camera on Jan. 30

The incident led to the officer’s resignation and a widening investigation into whether anyone else knew about the remarks.

Members of the Eugene Springfield NAACP are mourning the loss of Rev. Jesse Jackson, a civil rights activist and politician who died Tuesday at age 84. Vice President April Broadnax said she remembers watching Jackson on TV during her childhood. She said those times spent watching him are a part of what motivated her to pursue a career in activism.

More than 500 people joined the Monday, Jan. 19 event, which was organized by the Eugene-Springfield NAACP to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The march started in front of Autzen Stadium and ended at The Shedd Institute on East Broadway, where the NAACP hosted a celebration with speeches and musical performances.

The organization’s theme for the day, “Together: Together We Can. Together We Will. Together We Are United,” was palpable throughout the event. 

Demond Hawkins’ parents raised him with clear moral directives and a warning: What’s right is right, what’s wrong is wrong, and stay out of trouble. Hawkins, president of Eugene Springfield NAACP, lived with his head down for most of his life, until the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

More than 100 community members gathered at Clear Lake Community Center to learn about and discuss local actions in the face of the Trump administration's "attack on human rights."

The Eugene-Springfield NAACP held an informational press conference and Q&A in the spirit of Lewis' "good trouble" ideology.

"Our civil rights are under attack," said Eugene-Springfield NAACP President Demond Hawkins, addressing the crowd. "It's not just my civil rights and your civil rights. It's not just my friends and my neighbors, it's your friends and your neighbors."

EUGENE, Ore. — The Eugene-Springfield NAACP announced the relocation of its headquarters to the Clear Lake Community Center in Bethel, with operations beginning at the new site on July 1, 2025.

The organization says the move marks a new chapter for the branch, expanding access to services, increasing space for programming and staff, and fostering deeper partnerships with other Black-led and culturally specific organizations.

EUGENE, Ore. — The Eugene-Springfield NAACP branch is inviting the community to the historic Mims House this Friday, June 28th from 4-8 p.m. for a community health and resource fair.

Organizers say there will be information about the Oregon Health Plan, overdose prevention kits, and no-cost health screenings.

There will also be an opportunity to receive a free acupuncture session.

It’s Black History Month, and we want to acknowledge and celebrate the many ways Black activists, visionaries, communities, families, and youth leaders have made a powerful difference in the environmental movement in Oregon and around the world. OEC is proud to work alongside and in support of partners like NAACP-Eugene, Coalition of Communities of Color, Albina Vision Trust and other Black-led organizations who ensure environmental, racial, and social justice for communities throughout Oregon.

"Eugene is really the backbone of everything that I've become both in terms of my passions and my approaches." - Miles Rowe Pendleton, President of Eugene Springfield NAACP

The Eugene/Springfield NAACP is taking its lead from the national NAACP organization which has committed to working through traditional channels to bring about lasting change in policing and racial profiling nationwide

“It is past time that the United States look at its soul and that means the United States is made up of individuals.” Richardson said,  “So we as individuals have to look into our souls and activate ourselves as stewards of a great spirit that this nation can embody.”

—Eric Richardson. Executive Director of the NAACP chapter.