Bowling Green-Warren County NAACP to celebrate 100th anniversary

Local branch was founded on Feb. 2, 1919.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – On Saturday, Feb. 2, the Bowling Green-Warren County NAACP will be celebrating a very special anniversary.

It’s own.

While the original National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in 1909, the Bowling Green-Warren County Branch was founded 10 years later, which means this Saturday will mark the 100th anniversary since the founding of their chapter.

“It calls itself the oldest and boldest,” said Ryan Dearbone, President of the BG-WC NAACP branch. “That’s because of the way it attacks civil rights and injustices.”

The NAACP was established with the goal of creating equal opportunities for all people, and the Bowling Green branch has continued to do just that for the past century.

“We’ve been based for the past 100 years on equality, on civil rights, on education for all,” Dearbone said. “Those goals aren’t going to change.”

Dearbone, as president, said this chapter prides itself on being heavily involved in the community in areas such as education, community relations, and political involvement.

“We always try to give out scholarships to young people. We have college symposiums. We try to be intentional about bringing up our youth, helping them to understand the value of an education. The value of their self-worth, civil rights, things that they may not have learned elsewhere,” he added. “We also try to be intentional and very impactful when it comes to community relationships.”

Dearbone has been a member of this organization for 11 years now, saying it’s been an honor to serve an organization that does what it can to ensure the equality for everyone, regardless of their race, gender, beliefs, or lifestyle.

“Our ultimate goal is to make sure we’re giving everybody a level playing field,” said Dearbone. “If we can do that, then we’re doing our job.”

A lot has changed during the BG-WC NAACP’s 100 years in town, but what Dearbone hopes stays the same is the mission of this group in the next century to come.

“I hope this organization is an organization that grows and changes with the times,” he said.

The Bowling Green-Warren County NAACP Centennial Celebration will be held from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the African American Museum in Bowling Green, and all from the community are welcomed, and encouraged, to attend.