OUR WORK
It all begins with making a difference in our community. The NWA Branch of the NAACP is committed to addressing the issues that matter right here in Northwest Arkansas.
2026 Founders’ day scholarship luncheon
Join us for our annual Founder's Day Scholarship Luncheon at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, at the Rogers Convention Center.
Benefiting NWA high school and college students, this year’s event will feature Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, a cultural anthropologist, critical policy scholar and radical educator whose work explores issues of race, education, citizenship and state violence in the United States and the Middle East. He’ll be speaking on the theme “For Such a Time as This: Answering the Call to Serve.”
This is a ticketed event, with a special early-bird price of $50 per person through Jan. 15. Table reservations and sponsorships are also available! Get tickets and find more information here.
Your support is vital to bringing Dr. Hill to our region and continuing the NAACP Northwest Chapter’s work to ensure that Black lives are a priority in all spaces. Every ticket and donation goes toward the Freedom Fund, which provides scholarships to the next generation of NWA leaders.
Upcoming Events
Below are events organized by NWA NAACP and other local organizations with similar missions.
Tuesday, Feb. 3
Arkansas Ballot Measures Town Hall
Fayetteville Public Library, 6:30 p.m.
Come learn more about the grassroots work to protect the citizen ballot-measure process, broaden access to quality education for all communities, and hear about volunteering opportunities.
Monday, Feb. 9
NWA NAACP General Body Meeting
1100 N. Woolsey Ave., Fayetteville, 6:30 p.m.
Hear what your fellow chapter members are working on, and to learn about ways to join in and keep the Northwest Branch healthy and active in advancing equality in Northwest Arkansas.
Sunday, Feb. 15
NWA NAACP Founders’ Day Scholarship Luncheon (above)
Rogers Convention Center, 2:30 p.m.
Every ticket and donation goes toward the Freedom Fund, which provides scholarships to the next generation of NWA leaders.
Saturday, Feb. 21
Black Owned Northwest Arkansas Business Expo
Fayetteville Town Center, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Hosted by Black-Owned Northwest Arkansas, the Expo showcases a wide range of Black businesses, events and resources. The event itself is a cultural experience, and better yet, it’s family-friendly and open to the public. Organizers are also seeking volunteers.
Friday, Feb. 20
NWA NAACP Community Series on Economic Flourishing Part 1: A Vision for Thriving
203 N. College Ave., Fayetteville, TBD
NWA is growing, yet the benefits of that growth do not reach every household. This series creates space for Black residents, community partners and local leaders to name the current landscape, articulate a shared vision for justice and prosperity, and identify the pathways that lead to real economic empowerment.
Saturday, Feb. 28
Black History Month Program: “In the Spirit, In the Dark”
Springdale Public Library
Join an inspiring program featuring renowned scholar and author Dr. Najja Baptist, who will bring to life ideas from his new book, “In the Spirit, In the Dark: Black Music and Political Activism.”
2021 Scholarship Fundraiser
Thank you to our NWA COMMUNITY! We have raised $8,126 for our scholarship fundraiser and are well on our way to reaching our November 22 Goal of $10k! We are so grateful to all of you who have provided a financial gift for these educational scholarships! It takes all of us! Watch our program again on our Youtube channel.
Back to School Donations
The NWA NAACP Chapter raised over $1,000 to donate to St. James Baptist Church Back-to-School Event where they will be giving out backpacks to students in our community for free! We raised this money with the help of NWA NAACP members and local community members of NWA.
PARTNERSHIP WITH GENPACT
Together with our community, St. James Missionary Baptist Church and the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese, the NWA NAACP was able to donate over 10,000 lbs of food to three local food pantries with the help of GENPACT.
EDUCATION FORUM
The Northwest Arkansas NAACP hosted an Education Forum ahead of the School Board elections to dive into why you should engage with your local school board, why PTO’s matter locally, and process policies candidates plan to support during their tenure on the Fayetteville School Board. The NWA NAACP used this time to inform the public on how to connect to their local PTO and why parents' voices matter in our communities as we educate children. Check out the entire recording by clicking the YouTube link.
WELL PAST DUE: A PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS LAW ENFORCEMENT
On Monday, May 17, 2021, the Northwest Arkansas chapter of the NAACP partnered with the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Omicron Zeta Lambda Chapter to host a virtual conversation with local law enforcement to openly discuss the relationship between BIPOC individuals and local police departments. Over 160 community members registered for this Zoom webinar event, with over 100 in attendance and over 60 views thus far on the live stream on YouTube.
Subjects like police department hiring, training, DEI efforts within the departments, instructions on what to do in certain high-risk situations— especially as it relates to BIPOC individuals—and how we build trust and good relationships with departments were central to the conversation. An overall sense from the conversation was that police departments want to show up in their community as a source of safety for community members, and they too are processing what it means for their officers to manage the stigma of being a police officer at this time.
Participating law enforcement officers included Deputy Chief Jamie Fields of the Fayetteville Police Department, Chief Steve Gahagans of the University of Arkansas Police Department, Chief Jon Simpson of the Bentonville Police Department, Chief Deputy Jay Cantrell of the Washington County Police Department, Chief Cody Harper of the Centerton Police Department and Captain Derek Hudson of the Springdale Police Department. The event was moderated by Shaun Mayo.
“The NWA NAACP sincerely thanks all representatives of local law enforcement who participated in our first community conversation. True progress begins with open dialogue. We love being part of a community that encourages progress and growth. We hope to make this a bi-annual event as we work to keep lines of communication open,” says Dr. Coby Davis, current president of the NWA NAACP.
Feedback from the community members and law enforcement professionals who attended was overwhelmingly positive. Many people expressed gratitude that this conversation took place. The NWA NAACP hopes this will be just one of many regular conversations to be held with local law enforcement to continue building bridges and a healthy dialogue as it relates to policing matters and the BIPOC community.
