‘Advocating for justice’ Gov. Ferguson speaks at Tri-Cities NAACP event
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- NAACP Tri-Cities opened a new office in a renovated former doctor’s building.
- Gov. Bob Ferguson spoke at the event, citing his civil rights legal background.
- Chapter leaders say the space offers a safe hub for advocacy and community aid.
Gov. Bob Ferguson’s history with the NAACP goes back to his days in college when he began reading books about the law.
He told a crowd of about 200 people outside the new permanent home of the NAACP of Tri-Cities about how he read the history of lawyers who used the law to bend the country toward justice.
The organization opened the doors on a new chapter by converting a former doctor’s clinic into their new offices. They celebrated at a Saturday event where the governor came to speak.
Ferguson told the crowd that he interned with the NAACP legal defense fund in New York when he was in law school.
“Which, as you can imagine, (was) a very formative experience. It’s one thing to have classroom work. It’s another thing to see actual lawyers right in the courtrooms advocating for justice in real time and in real, tangible ways.”
It was through that experience that he learned how important it was for people to have advocates helping them navigate the often confusing world of the law.
“It’s difficult to navigate a legal system if you’re a single parent with two kids, working two jobs. You’re busy. You got a lot going on,” Ferguson told the Tri-City Herald in an interview. “We need organizations like the NAACP and organizations like that all across the state that stand up for workers and for other communities to be a voice for them.”
He took that into his work with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, where he opened a civil rights division to help people.
Ferguson said the ribbon cutting was an important event to travel to since it showed the community coming together.
“For events like that, that are grounded in community. I think it’s important for me to express support from my office, but to also express my desire to deepen our partnerships that we have with communities all across our state,” he said.
He told the crowd at the event that he would continue to work for justice for everyone in Washington.
“That work is critical. The state is not perfect. We need your partnership. We need your help. We need your advocacy, and that’s why I wanted to be here personally, to say how much I deeply appreciate that and appreciate the wonderful, wonderful legacy of this incredible organization right here in the Tri-Cities.”
For Advocacy Work
NAACP of the Tri-Cities Chapter President Irving Brown said this new building will provide people a safe place to come and seek help.
“(The building gives) the opportunity to those without a voice or a minimized voice to sit in a space where they can truly speak their experience,” Brown said.
The chapter has already engaged in advocacy for civil rights, addressing local racial and social injustices, voter engagement and educational opportunities.
The chapter, which was founded in 1948, has 55 members and depends on a base of about 20 volunteers, Brown previously told the Tri-City Herald.
The process of getting the new office only took a matter of weeks, Brown said. He was talking to Councilwoman Blanche Barajas about the need for a building, and within months they were opening the new space.
“This building was a blessing,” he said. “Something in me said, ‘No more working from home.’ We’ve got to create an atmosphere of safety and invitation.”
The building they found was owned by Dr. Faustino Rojas, who agreed to work with the chapter to provide them a new location.
The building is located at 707 W. Margaret St.
This story was originally published August 16, 2025 at 7:00 PM.