YOUTH & COLLEGE

The next generation of Missouri's civil rights advocates can be found within the halls of our schools, on our college and university campuses, and throughout our communities.

ENERGIZED.

ENGAGED.

Youth have been at the forefront of most major social movements. From the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s to the anti-apartheid movement of the 1980s, youth activism has spurred society and the world toward change. NAACP Youth & College units across America are engaged in social justice activism addressing issues at the local, state and national levels.

Young Missourians under the age of 25 are stepping up and advocating for change through Youth Councils and College Chapters across the state. Through voter registration and education, political advocacy at the local and state levels, community organizing alongside the Adult Branches in their communities, and collaboration with other student organizations on their campuses, NAACP youth are advancing the objectives of voting rights and political representation, economic sustainability, education, health, and juvenile justice in Missouri.

NEW AND NOW IN

YOUTH & COLLEGE

MO NAACP Stands with the Students of Park Hill

By President Nimrod Chapel, Jr. • September 5, 2024
Missouri NAACP Stands with Students Against Racial Violence and Sexual Harassment at Park Hill High School

Cape Girardeau Branch Continues Successful Voter Registration Efforts

By Pat McBride, President Cape Girardeau Branch • June 10, 2024
Door-to-Door Campaign is Essential to Reaching Eligible Voters

Successful First Weekend for Cape Girardeau NAACP Canvassing Team

By Pat McBride, President - Cape Girardeau 4048 • May 9, 2024
This year the Cape Girardeau Branch is focused on voter registration. We have formed The Cape Girardeau Branch NAACP Canvassing Team, which consist of students from Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO). The students have registered more than two-hundred students on campus this school year, and are now working with me to register voters off-campus. They have named themselves the "SEMO Democrats." We have received donations from a variety of sources to support the students' efforts. Prior to canvassing the South Cape Community, the team received training from the Cape Girardeau County Clerk office and me. We wanted them to clearly understand that the NAACP Canvassing team is nonpartisan, what the requirements of the law for registrars currently is, and how to properly make sure only eligible voters are registering through us. We are serving people and not a particular party or agenda - other than the importance of voter participation. Within two hours, we knocked on fifty-three doors. We held several impromptu conversations on the street. We registered one convicted felon who recently regained their eligibility but wasn't aware. We met one person who did not want to complete voter registration. I will re-visit this door. The team also had the opportunity to canvass a community event who provided our hard working students food. I have been canvassing and working as a Cape Girardeau Election Officer since I retired from the State of Missouri in 2015 and have canvassed for voter registration since that time. I have learned that there is much need for voter registration and education activities in the South Cape community. We have families who are not registered to vote; ones who are registered but do not vote; some who need a voter registration record update ; and finally, many who have been on probation in the past and do not realize they are eligible to vote. I am proud of our students and our branch for making this project a priority.  We plan to canvass weekly on Saturday (weather permitting) through October 2024. I will provide updates on our registration progress as we work to make sure every eligible voter in our area has a chance to register. We really appreciate the support of the MO State Conference of the NAACP!
SHOW MORE BLOG POSTS
A group of college students from Cape Girardeau standing in a parking lot eating sandwhiches while taking a break from a voter registration event.

A VISION FOR

THE FUTURE

To build a better Missouri for our youth, we must engage alongside them in grassroots activism, legislative reform, and community organizing. It is imperative that we listen to and follow the voices of those who will inherit and continue the work of the organization and the world in which it exists.


To do that, we must:

01

Inform youth of the problems affecting African Americans and other  communities of color.

02

Advance the economic, educational, social and political status of African Americans and other communities of color.

03

Galvanize an appreciation for the African Diaspora and other communities of color's contributions to civilization.

04

Cultivate informed, engaged, effective leadership among youth.

MOBILIZING MISSOURI'S

FUTURE LEADERS

The size and strength of NAACP Youth & College engagement is rapidly growing across Missouri. Whether you're still in K-12 or you're enrolled at an institution of higher education, there is a place for everyone under 25 to find community and get involved.


Find a College Chapter or Youth Council in your area or on your campus to join in the important work of a historic organization. If you can't find one near you, reach out to a local Adult Branch to begin the process of chartering a new unit and contributing to the expansion of the NAACP!

"Black people were never intended to be American citizens."

While testifying in favor of state legislation that would have passed the C.R.O.W.N. Act and protected Black Missourians from facing hair discrimination in the classroom and the workplace, Lincoln University NAACP Chapter President Makhi Jaff plainly stated to the members of the House Special Committee on Urban Issues that if the intent of our nation's founders was to include the voices of Black people, we would not need to fight to protect ourselves from mistreatment. President Jaff's words reminded our legislators not only that we will continue to advocate for ourselves, but also that our young leaders are just as fierce and capable of strong leadership as their older counterparts.

Share by: