Board of Directors
Barbara L. Charles, President
Donald Burton, Vice President
Mary Wicks, Secretary
Clarence Owens, Treasurer
Board of Directors
Barbara L. Charles, President
Donald Burton, Vice President
Mary Wicks, Secretary
Clarence Owens, Treasurer
Our work and our activists carrying the civil rights torch forward are our legacy. Since our founding in 1909, we have been, and continue to be, on the front lines of the fight for civil rights and social justice.
The Raleigh County Branch of the NAACP has been fighting for the rights of the people in this community since 1961. The rights of our children are a critical component in the fight for equality. The NAACP is proud to honor those that have been on the front lines.
The 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Living Legends award recipients are
Thomas
The Raleigh County Branch of the NAACP has been fighting for the rights of the people in this community since 1961. The rights of our children are a critical component in the fight for equality. The NAACP is proud to honor those that have been on the front lines.
The 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Living Legends award recipients are
Thomas and Joyce Parham. The Parham's have taught for over 50 years, Thomas in Wyoming and Raleigh Counties and Joyce in Wyoming, Raleigh, and Mercer Counties.
Thomas Parham said he and his wife have enjoyed a lifetime of giving back to the community and helping their students become better people. In addition to teaching, Mr. Parham was also the head baseball coach at Woodrow Wilson High School for over 20 years and has the baseball field at the school named after him.
"There's a lot of conversations about the problems impacting our communities, but we have to tell young people that they have the power to create the solutions."
- Wisdom Cole,
National Director of NAACP Youth and College
Concerned citizens held a "Love Peace & Unity Walk" in East Park on April 23, 2023. The walk took place because of recent shootings in the Beckley area. The latest of which, sent three people to the hospital; resulting in 1 fatality. The shootings occurred near the intersection of Sheridan Street and 7th Avenue in the East Park section of the city.
The shootings follow two fatal shootings from the previous week.
Around a dozen people at the regular meeting of Beckley Common Council on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, said they were scared by increased gun violence in the city.
Days after the sub-zero temps in Southern West Virginia there were thousands of citizens without water service due to the damage the sudden winter storm left behind.
In Raleigh County, 4,000 to 5,000 homes and businesses were left without water for days due to burst pipes. "Crab Orchard residents, who are served by the Fitzpatrick tank, said they had reported low water pressure and silt in water lines since the summer, which led officials to believe there could be an even bigger issue." - Jessica Farrish, 59 News
Quantez Burks (affectionately known as "Quan"), a loving father, grandfather, brother, and son departed this life due to a series of devastating events while in law enforcement custody, on March 1, 2022. According to the preliminary results of an autopsy, Quantez suffered blunt force trauma to the body and broken bones. Thereafter, Mr. Burks suffered a heart attack, and passed away. A full federal investigation on behalf of the United States Justice Department and a full criminal investigation by the Prosecuting Attorney's Office in Beckley, WV, has been requested.
In 2022 there were 13 deaths at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, WV. That is a 1300% increase in deaths at the facility since 2018. In early 2022, Governor Jim Justice, (R) West Virginia, called in the National Guard to address staffing vacancies statewide. In October, the Dept. of Homeland Security announced that a federal investigation was underway into Southern Regional Jail, specifically.
Stephen New, an attorney for the family of one of the deceased inmates, "believes more steps are needed to combat the facility's rising death toll."
The time is now. By becoming a member of NAACP, you'll join a network of activists standing up to injustice, fighting back against systemic racism, and answering the call for equality.
Raleigh County NAACP # 3238
NAACP is the largest and most influential civil rights organization in the nation. The vital work we do advancing political, educational, social, and economic equality for Black people in the United States depends on the generosity of supporters like you. Please mail your donations to
Raleigh County NAACP
P.O. Box 1121
Beckley, WV 25802
We need you now more than ever. If your membership is expiring or you'd like to deepen your commitment to racial justice and equality, you can renew or upgrade your NAACP membership here.
P.O. Box 1121 Beckley, WV 25802
