About Us

The Eugene Springfield NAACP is unit 1119 of the over 2,200 NAACP branches across the country.

About the Movement

Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
The NAACP is a c4 organization (contributions are not tax-deductible), and we have a partner c3 organization known as NAACP Empowerment Programs (contributions are fully tax-deductible as allowed by the IRS).

Please contact admin@naacplanecounty.org should you wish to donate. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but separated in 1957 to become a completely separate entity. It is recognized as the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization, and shares our commitment to equal rights.

Vision Statement

The vision of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race.

Objectives

  • To ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all citizens
  • To achieve equality of rights and eliminate race prejudice among the citizens of the United States
  • To remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes
  • To seek enactment and enforcement of federal, state, and local laws securing civil rights
  • To inform the public of the adverse effects of racial discrimination and to seek its elimination
  • To educate persons as to their constitutional rights and to take all lawful action to secure the exercise thereof, and to take any other lawful action in furtherance of these objectives, consistent with the NAACP’s Articles of Incorporation and this Constitution.

Eugene NAACP Leadership and Volunteers

Demond Hawkins

President

Demond Hawkins is currently serving as the President of the Eugene Springfield NAACP and holds the position of Senior Health Equity Specialist at Trillium Community Health Plan. With a background rooted in his faith, family, and a strong work ethic, Demond brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his roles.

In his capacity as a Senior Health Equity Specialist, Demond collaborates with diverse stakeholders to identify and address disparities in care and outcomes. By leveraging data, his direct experience working with individuals, and fostering community partnerships, he actively contributes to transformative changes in health equity delivery. Demond is particularly passionate about promoting diversity, health equity, and inclusion, as well as recognizing and dismantling systemic barriers associated with racism.
Driven by his goal to effect meaningful change, Demond strives to be intentional in his efforts to ensure that future generations can enjoy a better quality of life than.

Drae Charles

Executive Director
Drae Charles is a seasoned equity professional with a robust background in fostering cultures of belonging. With expertise in policy analysis, community building, and advocacy, Drae champions marginalized voices, forging alliances, and driving change. As a Bethel School Board Director and the Human Rights and Equity Analyst for the City of Eugene, Drae spearheads initiatives to cultivate inclusive environments and combat hate, bias, and discrimination.

Shakelah Hicks

Vice-President
Shakelah has been a prominent business owner and community leader in Eugene, OR for the past 23 years providing services to the community that support family, education, health and beauty. A graduate of IBS School of Cosmetology; the University of Oregon and Purdue University Global. Shakelah has transitioned into Real Estate and has recently joined the Chatel Group a top producing real estate investment group in Georgia where she specializes in serving Atlanta Midtown and surrounding areas.

Alexis Griffin

Secretary
Alexis is a landscape designer by training and currently is enrolled at Oregon State University for Integrative Biology. Her goal is to integrate evidence based practice into the field of landscape architecture and teach future generations about creating resilience urban communities. Alexis hopes to spread awareness about the importance of community and our environment to members in her role as Secretary for this branch of the NAACP.

Dani Gielish

Treasurer
My name is Dani Gielish, and I am the DEI Program Business Partner or OCCU. I’ve been in the financial industry for 23 years and have worked in many different roles throughout my career. DEIB has always been a passion of mine and I fully believe everything I have done in my career has led me to my dream job as a DEI Business Partner for my organization. I love connecting with different people and working cooperatively with others toward goals that transcend into personal interests. My passion is to welcome leaders and employees across all dimensions of diversity — including race, gender, socioeconomic status, language and national origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity. I will strive to create a safe space where people feel seen, heard, valued, and cared for across the organization I work for. My commitment is to decrease bias and increase clarity around expectations, drive equitable access and outcomes create the feeling of security and support. As I embark on my DEI journey, I want to be a force for advancing equity and resilience by identifying the biggest challenges and deploying world-class capabilities to solve them.

Kodjo Wilder

Education Committee Chair
Kodjo Wilder is currently serving as the chair of the Education Committee. He is the Assistant Principal of Cascade Middle School with the Bethel School District. Kodjo is committed to bringing the community together. We prioritize lifting up student and family voices to create a plan of action. Join the Education Committee as we work together to connect and uplift our community.

Jonathan Wayne

Health Committee Chair
Jonathan Wayne, a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Executive Chair of the NAACP Eugene/Springfield Health Committee, is set to utilize his comprehensive healthcare experience to provide greater access to care in the community. As the founder of Eugene’s first Black-owned psychiatric treatment center and Oregon’s first Black queer-owned psychiatric treatment center, his expertise spans mental health, critical care, emergency services, and healthcare policy, with some of these roles being held at the nation’s top healthcare organizations. Wayne’s strategic goal as Chair is to cultivate a more inclusive and efficient healthcare system.

Andiel Brown

Managing Director
Andiel Brown joined us last month as the new Managing Director of the Eugene/Springfield NAACP. Andiel has been a part of the community for 21 years. He received his bachelor’s degree in music from the UofO. In his time as an undergrad, he was a spiritual leader and player on the Ducks football team, and already began to blossom as an activist and advocate for others. Andiel has been the Director of the UofO Gospel Choirs & Ensembles for 16 years and the Executive Director of the nonprofit ADOS Oregon for 3 years.

Sarah McDonald

Office Manager
I am excited to be part of the NAACP. I feel privileged and am looking forward to being of service to all members of my community in the Eugene Springfield area.

Jocelyn Wensel

Grant Coordinator
Jocelyn Wensel is a second-year medical student at the International University of Health Sciences. She has her Bachelors in Biology from Claremont McKenna College and a Masters Degree in Medical Sciences from Heritage University. She is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion. She is interested in working in the public health policy space and hopes to incorporate knowledge of functional and integrative medicine, plant based nutrition, yoga, reiki, and psychedelics into her future practice in family medicine.

Lawrence Hunter

Education Coordinator
I’m grateful to announce that I will be joining the NAACP family as their newest Educational Programs Coordinator. During my years as an independent coordinator and with the YMCA, I’ve gained insight on the sacrifice required to grow programs from seed. As a father I am invested in the diversity of programming and staff in our school districts. In my personal life I produce music and DJ which has taught me focus on the needs of the community while remaining true to your own creative vision. I hope to apply this experience to my time with the NAACP family.
I’m grateful for the many mentors who shared their support and guidance with me. I can’t wait to see what experiences and adventures this next chapter of my career will reveal.

Kharina Miramontes

BIPOC Community Health Worker/HIV Alliance

Kharina Miramontes is a BIPOC Community Health Worker employed through the Eugene branch of the HIV Alliance. Through the BIPOC CHW Program, Kharina has the privilege and honor of working with the NAACP to help break down barriers in medical access, substance use treatments, and behavioral and social services for our BIPOC communities. 

As someone with experience in grassroots organizing and community service, Kharina is looking forward to using their previous experience and current skill set to help bring equity to the Eugene community.

April Broadnax

BIPOC Community Health Worker/HIV Alliance

April Broadnax is a BIPOC Community Health worker with the HIV Alliance. She has had years of experience in advocating others especially for people with disabilities. April is passionate about serving and uplifting her community in any way that she can.

Gail Lund

Healthcare Workforce Development Coordinatoror
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