WHY WE FIGHT

The Missouri Compromise, the Congressional compromise that granted statehood to Missouri in 1821, allowed for the state's admission into the union as a slave state. The laws of this country and the State of Missouri, therefore, were not designed to represent or protect communities of color. A significant aspect of our work is in striving to ensure that the laws that govern the land in which we live serve us now and into the future.

Through litigation, the Missouri NAACP champions safety, security, and prosperity for communities of color throughout the state. We work to ensure our needs are met by defending our right to access the ballot box, receive equitable education and healthcare, achieve economic parity and empowerment, enact a just and swift response to our local and global climate crisis, and reform the criminal justice system.

We file suit and appear as plaintiffs—along with our many partners in civil rights advocacy—in cases at the state and local levels to address misconduct, discrimination, unjust policies and regulations, and bad actors in our legal and political systems.

We will continue to fight until we achieve justice. As we know from the outcome of successful litigation initiated by the NAACP in the past, a victory for us is a victory for all.

The NAACP Office of the General Counsel reports on litigation that Units across the country either initiate or participate in as plaintiffs. These reports remind us that our work to fight for substantive change in policies and practices in Missouri is bolstered by that of our larger community nationwide. Our strength lies in our collective power and victories won elsewhere bolster our efforts at home.