NY, NY – Today, the NAACP New York State Conference (NAACP-NYS) launched Black New York Forward, a multi-year, statewide strategy to build durable Black political and economic power across New York State.

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President L. Joy Williams unveiled her vision for the state conference and NAACP-NYS’ strategy to build long-term civic capacity that strengthens representation, protects voting rights, and prepares for census and redistricting battles ahead. Grounded in the charge to advocate, agitate, and litigate on behalf of Black New Yorkers, #BlackNYForward shifts from reactive mobilization to disciplined, coordinated power-building.

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Inspired by the legacy of Dr. Hazel Dukes, whose vision, organizing and sacrifice got the NAACP-NYS to where it is today, Black New York Forward is being launched against three defining milestones.

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1. We are approaching 250 years of this nation’s founding, a nation built on the promise of freedom, even as it denied it to so many.
2. Next year, in 2027, it will be 200 years since New York abolished slavery - on July 4th, 1827 - after a gradual emancipation process that began in 1799.
3. This year, the NAACP New York State Conference entered its 90th year. Ninety years of advocating, organizing, and fighting for justice across this state.

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“Every day, there is a new headline. A new controversy. A new decision coming out of the White House that feels like a comedy of errors  designed to dominate our attention. To keep us reacting. To keep us off balance. If we are not careful, we will spend all of our time responding to someone else’s plan and never give our people a clear vision of what they are actually fighting for,” L. Joy Williams, President of the NAACP- New York State Conference. 

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Under President Williams leadership, Black New York Forward will position the NAACP New York State Conference to be the civic infrastructure needed to build and sustain thriving Black communities across this state.

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During her presentation, President Williams acknowledged that while New York State has more Black elected officials at the state and local level than we have ever had before, communities are still on the defensive. Black New Yorkers are still reacting instead of shaping outcomes and still fighting to protect the hard earned gains our people already secured.

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The State Conference will take existing representation and add coordination, strategy, and alignment. This will allow Black New Yorkers to move from a defensive posture to an offensive one.

We are using this moment—the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding and the 90th anniversary of this State Conference—not as a commemoration, but as an intervention.

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Later in the presentation, Williams noted that when she started as President statewide membership was just under 11,000. After a year, membership has grown to 13,000 and counting. As part of Black New York Forward, there is a goal to grow to 25,000 members statewide, timed to two critical moments: The 2026 midterms and the 2030 redistricting cycle.

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“For 90 years [the NAACP New York State Conference] has played a key role in advancing freedom and equity, leading on local civil rights advocacy on so many issues like, gun violence, deed theft, unemployment, our young people. Black New Yorkers have always had to stand up and to speak up and to fight back. But as times change, so do our strategies… because we face some serious threats from the Federal government as we all know, and we cannot and will not normalize the current times. As we move forward, we must build coordinated power as opposed to just reacting. So we need a strategy, because we will not allow them to erase our history, and all that we’ve marched for, bled and died for…the federal government has not only stopped enforcing civil rights laws, they’ve misinterpreted them and they are actively weakening them. We are not only responding, we are rebuilding,” said New York State Attorney General Letitia James. 

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“When people ask what is the role of the NAACP today, I respond that our role is to advocate, agitate and litigate on behalf of Black New Yorkers. And, my role as State President is to ensure that our members - these committed leaders - have the tools they need to succeed. That they have the support they need to grow. And that we have the ability to amplify their work so that we can remain the civic infrastructure our communities need to exercise our power.” L. Joy Williams, President of the NAACP- New York State Conference. 

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Underpinning Black New York is the creation of the NAACP Power Map, a three-layered  GIS-based tool that highlights where political power is being left on the table.

1. Layer 1: The Foundation
   Using Census data, NAACP will identify where Black communities are most concentrated.
2. Layer 2: The Opportunity
   Highlight low-propensity and unregistered voters. 
3. Layer 3: The Infrastructure
   NAACP branch presence and allied organizations.

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Leveraging data from the map, the NAACP-NYS is working to break down of the silos that exist in the organizing space and create new coalitions with those who have shared interests.

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Live Stream Link HERE.

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