DONATE Search Mobile Menu SHARE Share on Twitter Share on Facebook ADVOCACY & LITIGATION The path to justice requires that we challenge federal, state, and local laws, statutes, and policies to ensure equal protection. MAKING LAWS WORK FOR US A thoughtful look at American history reveals that the nation's laws were never meant to serve Black Americans. But we strive to make the laws work for us through litigation at the national and local levels. Through affirmative litigation, we aim to further our mission to ensure equitable treatment and opportunities when it comes to voting rights, education, economic empowerment, criminal justice, and health, including environmental justice. We initiate lawsuits and join as plaintiffs in state and federal cases. We have, and will continue to, file cases that fight: Unjust federal, state local statutes regulations Discriminatory policies, practices procedures Unlawful misconduct by public officers, private individuals, and companies that threaten civil rights We don't do this work alone. We may partner with other civil rights organizations, law firms, and law schools to secure the resources necessary to assess and prosecute cases. CURRENT LITIGATION Protecting Free Speech in Oklahoma On October 27th, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma granted a preliminary injunction in the lawsuit filed by the Oklahoma NAACP. Oklahoma NAACP argues that the House Bill 1674 criminal statute seeks to chill free speech, in part, by creating draconian monetary fines for civil justice organizations such as the NAACP that organize demonstrations. Fighting Redistricting Maps in Texas On November 5th, the Texas State Conference of the NAACP, in partnership with the filed a lawsuit challenging the recently drawn Congressional and state legislative district maps in Texas. Despite 95% of the state's population growth coming from communities of color, the new maps in Texas actually provide less opportunity for voters of color, in particular Black voters, to elect candidates of their choice. Protecting the Vote in Illinois On November 11th, the Illinois State Conference of the NAACP and the East St. Louis Branch of the NAACP filed a brief in support of its complaint challenging the House District 114 in SB 927. The lawsuit alleges that the Illinois legislature manipulated populations by race, unlawfully diluted the votes of Black voters, and ultimately lessened the chances of election of the only Black representative elected to the state legislature in order to bolster the chances of a white incumbent in nearby district HD 112. RECENT FILINGS We're using the court system to fight efforts to disenfranchise Black voters, hold public officials accountable in the January 6 insurrection, and ensure civil rights. Read more about current cases. Thompson V. Trump NAACP Georgia State Conference v. Raffensperger NAACP v. Florida Secretary of State Brnovich v. DNC Terkel v. Center for Disease Control NAACP v. Iredell County Government Maryland Office of the Public Defender, NAACP, and ACLU v. Talbot County, MD Crystal LaVon Mason-Hobbs v. The State of Texas NAACP v. State of Michigan and the City of Flint Cook (A.C). v. Raimondo Harris County, Texas and Kevin Vailes v. Barbara Coats and Ali Amron VOTING RIGHTS VICTORY The Indiana NAACP, along with the League of Women Voters of Indiana, challenged Acts 442 and 334 in court and won protection for the state's voters. The two voter purge laws aimed to allow Indiana election officials to cancel voter registrations without communication or compliance with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) process. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that Acts 442 and 334 violate the NVRA, which prohibits states from removing voters unless voters opted for removal or by going through the established process of the NVRA. The coalition filed a suit in YEAR to stop Act 442, which allowed election officials to obtain data from a third-party database to determine voter eligibility in Indiana without notice to the voter. Similarly, Act 334 aimed to use the Indiana Data Enhancement Association (IDEA) to identify duplicate voter registrations and allow election officials to remove a voter from Indiana's voter rolls without proper notification or consent. LEARN MORE Donald Trump needs to be held accountable for deliberately inciting and colluding with white supremacists to stage a coup, in his continuing efforts to disenfranchise African-American voters. The insurrection was the culmination of a carefully orchestrated, months-long plan to destroy democracy, to block the results of a fair and democratic election, and to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of African-American voters who cast valid ballots. - Derrick Johnson, NAACP President and CEO JOIN THE FIGHT You are critical to the hard, complex work of ending racial inequality. BECOME A MEMBER MAKE AN IMPACT Donate today to help power the legal fight against structural racism and inequality. DONATE NOW Stay informed SUBMIT Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Store Careers Terms of Use Privacy Policy © 2021 NAACP. All Rights Reserved.