NAACP launches town halls to mobilize Black voters ahead of midterm elections

The NAACP, the nation's oldest civil rights organization, is kicking off a series of town halls this week in an effort to mobilize Black voters around the country more than a year ahead of the 2026 midterms.

"It may still seem far away, but the 2026 midterm elections will determine whether our democracy still holds on or whether the people surrender their power to a king," NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement to CBS News. "So, from our perspective, as the NAACP, it's clear: we've got to start organizing early."

Johnson called this "an urgent moment," referring to President Trump's rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion policies and immigration raids, as well as the swath of budget cuts slashing Medicaid and food assistance programs as "attacks on democracy." The town halls will focus on the administration's policies and their impact on the African-African community.

"We've got to strengthen community, recruit volunteers, inform each other about Donald Trump's oppressive policies, and map out local strategies that will ensure everybody gets out to vote," Johnson said. "Our neighbors are being illegally kidnapped by ICE, Trump's budget is taking away our healthcare and access to food stamps, and our civil rights are being stripped away at every turn—all while costs, from housing to groceries, continue to rise, and the billionaire class get richer."

The first event will be held Tuesday in New Jersey and will feature Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Rep. LaMonica McIver and other local leaders. In May, the Justice Department filed felony charges against McIver for allegedly assaulting a federal law enforcement officer during a clash earlier this month between protesters and police outside of a Newark ICE detention center. She pleaded not guilty. Baraka was charged with one count of misdemeanor trespassing at the same protest, but the charge was later dropped.

In addition to addressing national and community issues, the forums are also aimed at boosting civic engagement through volunteer and voter recruitment, grassroots organizing and door-to-door outreach.

"As we build toward the 2026 midterm election, our campaign will focus on connecting past liberation struggles to the urgent demands of the present," said Wisdom Cole, NAACP's Senior National Director of Advocacy.

NAACP invested $20 million during the 2024 presidential election to get out the vote, mobilizing over 14.5 million Black voters.

While African Americans overwhelmingly backed former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 contest, President Trump earned an increasing share of Black vote, particularly among Black men. According to CBS News exit polls, Mr. Trump received 21% support among Black males and in some in states, like North Carolina, he more than doubled his support from 2020. Mr. Trump also made gains among Latino voters.

The town halls come amid an increasingly intense battle over redistricting. Texas state Democrats recently fled the state to protest a new congressional map that could increase the number of GOP seats. Local civil rights groups, including the NAACP, have argued it could dilute minority voting power. California is also considering redrawing its congressional districts to counter Texas, if it succeeds.

The NAACP is planning additional town halls in Texas and California in the coming months, and also other states such as North Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin, New York and Maryland.