"Our new branches have a vision. It is delightful to see a divided, apathetic community come to a sense of social consciousness through the unifying influence of the National Association." - From “Recruiting in the Midwest.” The Crisis {NAACP Magazine], July 1919 p. 140
Since 1919, the NAACP Saginaw Branch has provided leadership and has been an important force throughout our community. In 2019, the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History celebrated the centennial of the founding of the Saginaw branch of the NAACP with an exhibit.
When the NACCP Saginaw Branch was formed, Saginaw’s Black community totaled about 50 families. An organizational meeting was held at Bethel AME Church on July 13, 1919. The Saginaw Branch was formally chartered on August 25, 1919, and the president was Rev. Peter M. Marks. While Saginaw newspapers provide scant coverage of the Branch’s early activities, Leo Romo, who worked on research for the exhibit, found an announcement for a meeting in the August 8, 1919 issue of the Saginaw News Courier:
“There will be a meeting in African M.E. Church Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock under the direction of the national association of the colored people. [Sic.]”
This link will take you to the Saginaw Branch NAACP website and additional historical information about the Branch: https://saginawnaacp.org/history-of-saginaw-branch/
Today, the office of the Saginaw Branch NAACP is located in the Saginaw Tower, 515 N. Washington Ave.
