"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.

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.

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.

The Eugene Springfield NAACP held a press conference Monday at the historic Mims House where Eugene's political leaders issued a public acknowledgement and apology to the first Black families of Eugene.

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.