NAACP Des Moines

07/03/2026

Tomorrow, our country marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence.

Fireworks will light up the sky. Flags will fly. Speeches will be made about freedom. And we will do what Black people in this country have always done: hold the full truth of America in our hands, including the parts that do not fit neatly into a parade.

The Declaration reminds us that government exists to secure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that its just power comes from the consent of the governed.

That is not anti-American. That is the American assignment.

And Iowa has its own Fourth of July witness to that assignment.

On July 4, 1839, the Iowa Territorial Supreme Court issued its very first ruling in the case of Ralph, an enslaved Black man from Missouri who had come to Iowa to work in the mines near Dubuque and earn money to purchase his freedom.

When the man who claimed ownership over him tried to have him seized and returned to Missouri, Iowa’s court said no.

On Independence Day, Iowa’s first Supreme Court decision chose freedom.

Let's remember that.

The NAACP reminds us that “the United States of America, built by us all, belongs to all of us,” and that the repayment for our labor is equity and justice for all.

This Fourth of July, we encourage Black Iowans, Des Moines residents, and all who believe in democracy, dignity, and freedom to visit the Shattering Silence sculpture in East Village.

Take your children. Take your elders. Take your friends.

Stand there and reflect on who we are as Americans, who we are as Iowans, what our ancestors paid to bring us this far, and how we will use the deposits they made on our behalf, not simply to enjoy freedom, but to practice it, protect it, and expand it.

📍 Shattering Silence Sculpture
1111 E Court Ave, Des Moines, IA 50319
West of the Iowa Judicial Branch building
Especially striking at sunrise and sunset: Sunrise ~5:46 AM · Sunset ~8:52 PM

This Fourth of July, our charge is not only to remember liberty.

Our charge is to maintain it.

We hope to see you in the work,

Victoria Henderson Weber
President | NAACP Des Moines



learn more about the monument here: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=236242

06/15/2026

Tonight, join us at Central Library for a powerful evening with New York Times bestselling author Tayari Jones, author of Kin and An American Marriage.

Tayari Jones has been selected for Oprah’s Book Club twice and has received the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Aspen Words Prize, and the NAACP Image Award.

📍 Des Moines Public Library, Central Library
🕕 Doors open: 6:00 PM
🕖 Program begins: 7:00 PM
✍🏾 Book signing to follow
📚 Beaverdale Books will be onsite with books available for purchase

We encourage you to attend in person if you are able. Showing up matters, especially at a time when library funding is part of public budget discussions. Libraries are spaces of learning, access, culture, democracy, and community, and they deserve our visible support.

Can’t attend in person? Watch the livestream on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86795612891?pwd=L050bnI1WW8zNmkreElKc0pxMkNvZz09

Password: **dmpl**

You can also become a Library Advocate and stay informed about upcoming budget discussions here:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=yvTRtZprxkGF4e2PSYpaNRudG4UcsoVGklVYQL0lqYpUQVkzQ0tHSUpSOVUxOTBVSDkyQTQ3VlNaUy4u

Let’s show up tonight for literature, for public libraries, and for the community spaces that belong to all of us.

The big day is here! Join us for a very special event with Tayari Jones at Central Library. Door open at 6 PM, and the event will begin at 7 PM. https://www.dmpl.org/tayari-jones

Following the author talk Tayari will sign books for attendees. Beaverdale Books will be onsite with Tayari's books for sale as well.

02/23/2026

Sneak Peak: NAACP Des Moines Branch leadership working on some new things to grow our youth and college division.

12/08/2025

On Saturday evening at our 2025 Freedom Fund Celebration, the Des Moines Branch NAACP proudly presented the Corporate Citizen of the Year Award to Dr. Gregory R. Johnson, System Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at UnityPoint Health.

Dr. Johnson has led a system-wide transformation rooted in equity, access, and measurable improvements in community health. Under his leadership, UnityPoint Health has achieved significant reductions in inpatient mortality and hospital complication rates, strengthening outcomes for those who need it most.

His dedication to justice-centered healthcare, partnership, and community well-being embodies the spirit of this award. We are grateful for his leadership and honored to recognize his contributions to the Des Moines Metro.

Please join us in celebrating Dr. Johnson for this well-deserved recognition!

12/06/2025

Book Signing & Discussion w/ National Bestselling Author Alencia Johnson Hosted by Jayla Poindexter

12/06/2025

Join us today for a special community event featuring national bestselling author Alencia J. Johnson for a book signing and conversation you don’t want to miss.

🗓️ Saturday, December 6
⏰ 1:30 PM
📍 Nadia’s French Bakery

We’re also excited to spotlight our host, Jayla Poindexter, an Iowa State University junior studying Journalism and Mass Communication and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Jayla is a rising media and communications leader, and we’re honored to lift her voice. ✨

Come meet Alencia, support young Black talent, and spend the afternoon in community. The event is free and open to the public.

12/06/2025

We are officially within the final 4 hours to purchase tickets for the 2025 NAACP Des Moines Branch Freedom Fund Celebration. Ticket sales will close today at noon. If you plan to attend, now is the time to secure your seat.

This year’s celebration begins with the President’s Reception at 5:30 PM, featuring hors d’oeuvres, complimentary beverages, and dedicated time for networking with our honorees, partners, and community leaders before the main program begins.

We are proud to recognize the following award recipients:

• Sharon Zanders Ackiss, Excellence in Advocacy Award
• Dr. Ashley Garrin, Visionary Leadership in Education Award
• Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, Faith-Based Organization Award
• Audrey Kennis, Women in NAACP Award
• Supply Hive, Organization of the Year Award
• Dr. Gregory Johnson, Corporate Citizen of the Year Award

These individuals and organizations represent the courage, innovation, and commitment required to build a Des Moines where everyone can live, work, and thrive.

Freedom Fund Celebration
Saturday, December 6, 2025
Prairie Meadows Events Center, Altoona
Program Begins: 6:30 PM

Please reserve your ticket within the next 4 hours if you plan to join us.

12/02/2025

Today is about investing in the kind of Des Moines we keep fighting for, one where every family can live, work, and thrive.

If you’ve been planning to support the NAACP Des Moines Branch, today is the day to do it.

You can take one simple step that strengthens our work for justice, voting rights, education, economic opportunity, and community health & well-being:

• Reserve your tickets for the Freedom Fund Celebration
• If you can’t attend, renew your membership
• Or make a direct donation to support our programs and advocacy
All options are available here: www.naacpdesmoines.org

Your support fuels the work behind community preparedness, youth opportunity, health equity, and our ongoing fight for a fair and inclusive Metro. None of it happens without people who believe in this mission.

12/01/2025

🚨 Last Call for Sponsors and Tables! 🚨

Today is the final day to secure your sponsorship or reserve a table for the NAACP Des Moines Branch Freedom Fund Banquet. After tonight, only individual tickets will remain, and those will be available until Friday (or until we sell out).

This is our 110th year, and the work ahead of us is real. Your support fuels the mission, strengthens our advocacy, and helps us move closer to a Des Moines where every person can live, work, and thrive.

If you or your organization has been planning to stand with us, this is the moment.

Sponsor or reserve your table before midnight.
Individual tickets open after that, but availability is limited.

Let’s show what collective power looks like.
http://www.naacpdesmoines.org