data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs=

Fighting for Your Civil Rights

Fighting for Your Civil RightsFighting for Your Civil RightsFighting for Your Civil Rights

advancing the cause of social justice and civil rights through advocacy, public policy and direct action since 1925

(718) 530-5924

Fighting for Your Civil Rights

Fighting for Your Civil RightsFighting for Your Civil RightsFighting for Your Civil Rights

advancing the cause of social justice and civil rights through advocacy, public policy and direct action since 1925

(718) 530-5924

The Staten Island NAACP celebrates 100 years. A Century of Courage: Honoring Our Legacy, Empowering Our Future

President's Message

Welcome to the official website of the Staten Island Branch of the NAACP.

For more than a century, the NAACP has been at the forefront of the fight for justice, equality, and civil rights. Here in Staten Island, our branch continues that proud legacy while responding to the urgent challenges of today.

 

We live in a moment that demands courage and action. Whether confronting racial disparities in education, health, housing, criminal justice, or economic opportunity, our mission remains clear: to secure political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights for all people and to eliminate racial discrimination.


As President of the Staten Island Branch, I am committed to:

 

  • Honoring our legacy of uplifting the work of those who paved the way before us.
  • Building our future by advocating for policies that protect our rights and expand opportunity.
  • Empowering our community through voter education, youth engagement, and grassroots organizing.
  • Standing united with community partners, faith leaders, educators, and everyday Staten Islanders who believe in justice and equality.

 

This is not work that can be done alone. The NAACP is a membership-driven movement, and we need you. Join us. Volunteer. Become a member. Support our programs. Together, we can ensure that Staten Island remains a community where every voice is heard, every life is valued, and every family can thrive.
 

Thank you for your commitment, your courage, and your belief in the power of change.

 

In solidarity,

 
 

Nicole Meyers

President

NAACP, Staten Island Branch

statenislandbranchNAACP@gmail.com

 

Take a stand.
Answer the call for equality.
Answer the call for civil rights.
Join the oldest and boldest civil rights organization in the nation.

Adult Membership
Youth Membership

Mission

The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.


The following statement of objectives is found on the first page of the NAACP Constitution – the principal objectives of the Association shall be:


  • To ensure the political,  educational, social, and economic equality of all citizens
  • To achieve equality of rights and eliminate race prejudice among the citizens of the United States
  • To remove all barriers of racial  discrimination through democratic processes
  • To seek enactment and enforcement  of federal, state, and local laws securing civil rights
  • To inform the public of the adverse effects of racial discrimination and to seek its elimination
  • To educate persons as to their  constitutional rights and to take all lawful action to secure the exercise thereof, and to take any other lawful action in furtherance of these  objectives, consistent with the NAACP’s Articles of Incorporation and this Constitution.



William A. Morris, Sr. (1876–1951)

Founder and 1st President


William A. Morris, Sr. was a trailblazer in business and civil rights whose determination helped shape Staten Island’s Black community.


Born in 1876 in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, to free parents, William grew up on a farm where he developed a love for learning—especially mathematics—and a strong sense of justice. Even as a boy, he stood up against dishonesty and unfair treatment, foreshadowing the leadership he would later embody.


At age 11, with little more than the clothes on his back, William left home to work as a migrant farmhand. He traveled north following the harvest of cotton, apples, and peaches, taking on any job he could find. By his early 20s, he arrived in Staten Island, where he and his brother found work with Richmond Moving and Storage. While the job was stable, William’s vision was bigger: he wanted to own a business of his own.


Despite being mocked when he first shared his dream, he pressed forward. He eventually purchased property on Van Street and Richmond Terrace, converting an old police station into a moving headquarters and warehouse. From humble beginnings with just a horse and wagon, he built William A. Morris Moving and Storage into the largest African American–owned moving company on the East Coast. Through the Great Depression, he managed to keep all of his 35 employees—including drivers, clerks, accountants, and mechanics—on the payroll without a single layoff.


Morris was also a civic leader. He served as a sheriff, sat on the boards of local organizations including the Chamber of Commerce and the Staten Island Grand Jury Association, and was a faithful member of Shiloh Church. When a Black family faced threats after buying a home in a white neighborhood, Morris rallied his men to protect them—and when the NAACP offered little support, he launched a Staten Island branch himself. From 1925 to 1930, he served as the first president of the NAACP Staten Island Branch, establishing a tradition of advocacy that continues today.

Check out our Facebook page!

Contact Us

NAACP Staten Island Branch

P.O. Box 140164, Staten Island, NY 134

(718) 530-5924

Email: StatenIslandBranchNAACP@gmail.com

Copyright © 2025 NAACP Staten Island Branch - All Rights Reserved.

Powered by

This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

Accept