Resources

A wealth of resources document the ways in which African Americans have reinforced the fabric of Vancouver and other Pacific Northwest communities. The websites below allow visitors to explore the past and present contributions people of color have made to our area.

NAACP Branch 1139 (Vancouver, Washington)
The NAACP, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, is the oldest, largest and strongest Civil Rights Organization in the United States. The principle objective of the NAACP is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority group citizens of the United States. The NAACP is committed to achievement through non-violence and relies upon the press, the petition, the ballot and the courts, and is persistent in the use of legal and moral persuasion even in the fact of overt and violent racial hostility. National History  information. 

The Vancouver Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People shall work to advance the political, educational, and social status of Black people and other people of color; to eliminate racial prejudice; to establish a harmonious relationship between all people.

Clark County Historical Museum
The Clark County Historical Society is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and interpretation of the cultural history of Clark County and the Pacific Northwest, and to sponsoring educational programs and exhibits for the enrichment of all members of the public.

Center for Columbia River History
The Center for Columbia River History is a consortium of the Washington State Historical Society, Portland State University and Washington State University Vancouver formed in 1990. CCRH conducts interdisciplinary research projects, publishes material in text and electronic formats, sponsors free public programs and teacher seminars, and develops curricula. It collaborates with other historical and cultural institutions and offers programs to schools, libraries, historical societies and public groups throughout the Columbia River Basin, a region that includes territory in seven states (Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming, and Utah) and one Canadian province (British Columbia).

Learn about CCRH's Vancouver African American History Project (VAAHP).

Columbia River Basin Ethnic History Archive
The Columbia River Basin Ethnic History Archive (CRBEHA) is a project of Washington State University Vancouver, the Idaho State Historical Society, Oregon Historical Society, Washington State Historical Society, and Washington State University Pullman. Funded by a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services, the collaborative project sought to create a database with thematic coherence that would engage online researchers in thinking more deeply about the significance of the rich primary resources available in museums, libraries, and historical societies. We also hoped the project would serve as a model for other institutions that wanted to share collections and stimulate public interest in and use of those collections.

BlackPast.org
BlackPast.org, an online reference center makes available a wealth of materials on African American history in one central location on the Internet. These materials include an online encyclopedia of over 1,500 entries, the complete transcript of over 125 speeches given between 1789 and 2008, over 100 full text primary documents, bibliographies, timelines and four gateway pages with links to 50 digital archive collections. Additionally 75 major African American museums and research centers and over 400 other website resources on black history are also linked to the website. The compilation and concentration of these diverse resources allows BlackPast.org to serve as the "Google" of African American history.