North Shore MA Branch
The North Shore MA NAACP Branch was born out of the Black Lives Matter protests that occurred after George Floyd’s murder in May 2020, which motivated people in the community to form the Hamilton-Wenham Human Rights Coalition. Original members of this group sought to form a local NAACP branch, to institute immediate political, state and federal impact on important social justice issues, and to support the oldest civil rights organization in the country. Today, our membership stands in active solidarity against systemic racism in the North Shore, MA.
In October 2020, we held elections to formally establish our Executive Committee and have subsequently appointed Chairs to Standing Committees including Housing, Education, Criminal Justice and Membership. We were active in Danvers and Beverly’s pre-election tensions involving the thin blue line flag and we have worked to support individuals throughout the region who have sought assistance in matters of injustice. We have engaged with the press to further communicate the priority of fighting racial inequality in the North shore, and we continue to build organizational partnerships across the region.
We were chartered in July 2020 by the National Office and have been working to build a strong presence in our jurisdiction of the North Shore MA. We represent the entire region and officially claim the following towns and cities: Amesbury, Beverly, Danvers, Wenham, Hamilton, Topsfield, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Essex, Gloucester, Rockport, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury, Newburyport, Salisbury, Salem and Marblehead.
Today, we are one of the largest Branches in New England. We think the size of our membership is a testament to the region’s desire to change some things. We won’t stop the Work until racial discrimination, and the systems that promote racial discrimination, are dismantled.
The Local Mission
The North Shore MA NAACP Branch is committed to implementing the NAACP’s mission of securing the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
With a strong membership, we have a strong voice. We work to assure that local government and organizations enforce equality on all levels of life, for everyone. In order to be effective in this purpose, we prioritize building and sustaining our membership base so that all towns and cities in the North Shore are effectively represented within our Branch.
While we work hard to implement the NAACP’s mission locally, we work, with equal priority, to build community within our branch and amongst members. We believe that in order to desegregate our communities and give power to our mission, we first must desegregate ourselves, create a space where members can learn and be vulnerable with each other and be active in dismantling prejudice. We welcome people of all backgrounds, creeds and identities to join us.
We encourage all Members to be active and participate in a Committee, enjoy a list of social activities that our Membership Committee offers, or join our monthly Membership-at-large meetings where we come together to discuss relevant matters of interest. We welcome you in any capacity; even just being a card-carrying member furthers our mission and strengthens our voice. You can make a difference.
About the NAACP
The NAACP is the oldest, largest and most effective civil rights organization in the country. Its mission in the 21st century is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination". National NAACP initiatives include political lobbying, publicity efforts and litigation strategies developed by our legal team.