‘Let us not fall asleep at the wheel’: Charleston NAACP opens doors to new facility

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston NAACP Branch opened its doors Sunday to a new facility in the heart of downtown Charleston.

Members shed light on the move to a new space on the corner of Spring Street and Rutledge Avenue with the hope of bringing a wider range of care to underrepresented communities.

“We have moved around because of the community,” Branch President Dorothy Jenkins said. “We want to be in the heart of the city. It’s important to have a face and a place easily accessible to the community members.”

Dozens of members and the public welcomed the new facility with a special dedication and commitment to success.

“We can go through the history of Charleston and see how much work is needed. As we are now in this 21st century, there is much work to be done,” Branch Treasurer Jerome Clemons said.

The branch has served people of color in the Charleston area for more than 100 years.

In that time frame the organization has addressed race-based discrimination within health care, employment, incarceration, education and more.

“We are all entitled to the same reciprocities, the same privileges, the same rights,” Jenkins said.

The oldest and largest nationwide civil rights coalition sits with years of progress behind it.

Always working to advocate… bring awareness… and balance out the scale.

“Let us not fall asleep at the wheel,” Clemons said.

The branch encourages anyone who is interested in learning more about the Charleston NAACP to stop by the new location on Spring Street or come to one of their meetings.

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