About Us
We are your community-focused Branch of the NAACP, and are a diverse group of individuals working towards equality in the mid-Willamette Valley for more than 50 years. We represent persons in Linn and Benton counties.
The mission of the Linn Benton NAACP Branch in Oregon is the same as the National organization. The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or the NAACP, has been a force for racial equality and justice in America since 1909. Over half a million Americas belong to a branch of the NAACP.
We invite you to join us at our monthly hybrid (virtual and in-person) meetings which alternate between Corvallis and Albany, and are also on Zoom.
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Branch #1118 HistoryThe Linn Benton Branch of the NAACP was founded in January 1971. Dr. Calvin O.L. Henry, one of the founders of the branch, served as its first president. Dr. Calvin Henry has been involved in civil rights in Oregon since the 1960s and has advocated for Black Oregonians in a myriad of ways. In addition to being a co-founder and first president of the Corvallis/Albany NAACP, in 1977 he started the Oregon Assembly of Black Affairs. This non-partisan, non-profit political organization focused on educating the Black Community and the public. In 1983 he helped start the Oregon Commission on Black Affairs, a governmental commission working on economic, social, legal, and political equity. Dr. Henry also served on the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industry, the Oregon Council on Civil Rights, and the Oregon Governor's Task Force on Equality. Dr. Henry's fight for Black rights also extends to his work in education. After earning a Bachelor's degree from Wiley College (Texas), Dr. Henry earned an M.A. in Mathematics (1975) and a Ph.D. in Education (1997) from Oregon State University. After receiving his doctorate, Dr. Henry taught in the OSU College of Education. In 2015, Dr. Henry was named a "History Maker" by the national NAACP. Learn more about the history of the national NAACP. |