Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

The NAACP believes strongly that future leaders must be developed today, and such development is ongoing in the Youth & College Division, created in 1936. 

David and Goliath.  Tiananmen Square.  The Little Rock Nine, against an angry mob and the National Guard.  Freedom Riders.  Bloody Sunday.  Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.  In every social revolution, the youth of society has always played the defining role in a community's struggle for freedom and equality.  In keeping with that tradition, the NAACP Youth & College divisions transform bright and eager idealists into effective community leaders and heroes.  Its undying mission is to nurture leadership skills in ordinary people in the faith that they will rise to extraordinary challenges and become beacons to others who Choose Freedom.

The NAACP has one of the largest organized groups of young people of any secular organization in the country. Nationwide some 67,000 youth are involved with the NAACP through its Youth Councils and College Division. Its objectives are to:  inspire, motivate, and create interest in civic activities; provide young people with an understanding of pertinent issues; develop organizational skills for implementation of community-related activities; and encourage active participation in these activities.