On October 9, 1917 James Weldon Johnson, Mary Ovington and W.E.B DuBois came to Hartford and spent an evening in the living room of Fredrick and Mary Seymour at 420 New Britain Avenue to discuss the issues of lynching and discrimination. In November 1917 DuBois, Ovington, and James Weldon Johnson, all prominent leaders within the national office, visited Hartford to address a large meeting at Center Church. On December 10, 1917, the national organization’s board, clearly impressed by the local activism and organizing spirit in Hartford, granted the Hartford branch a permanent charter. William Service Bell, a respected African American clerk at a local merchandise store, became the branch’s first president, while Seymour served as vice-president.
From its very beginning, the branch battled racism and discrimination in its myriad forms in everyday life, employment, housing, and education. The current endeavors of the Greater Hartford branch, now led by Corrie Betts, reveal a mission, objectives, and a vision that have held true to the foundation established by William Service Bell and Mary Townsend Seymour.
Every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Greater Hartford NAACP hosts Wake Up Wednesday — a weekly initiative rooted in service, support, and solidarity. Located in the heart of the community, this gathering is more than a food drive or resource fair — it’s a living example of what it means to show up for one another.
Whether you need a hot meal, a warm coat, or a conversation, you’ll find it here. We distribute free groceries, clothing, household goods, and offer grilled meals and grinders on-site. And it doesn’t stop there.
Each week also features a rotating lineup of community resources:
If you’re in need — or if you just want to connect — Wake Up Wednesday is for you. No paperwork, no red tape. Just neighbors helping neighbors.
Come for the food. Stay for the community. Leave with hope.
On behalf of the Greater Hartford Branch of NAACP, we are honored to extend a special invitation to the 108th Annual Freedom Fund Dinner, hosted by the Greater Hartford NAACP. This year’s theme, “The Fierce Urgency of NOW!”, calls us to action—reminding us that the work of liberation, justice, and equity cannot wait.
Thursday, October 2, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Marriott Windsor/Hartford
28 Day Hill Road, Windsor, CT
This is more than a dinner—it’s a gathering of leaders, advocates, and community champions united by a shared commitment to civil and human rights. Your voice matters, and your presence will make a difference as we reflect, celebrate, and chart the path forward together.
Don’t miss out—secure your seat today!
After a string of murders in the Barbour Street area in Hartford during the summer of 2023, the NAACP came up with the idea of “Wake Up Wednesdays.”
Randall Swift, a member of the NAACP Greater Hartford branch, said it’s a way for the community to come together and fight back against violence in their neighborhood.
“One hundred consecutive weeks, serving the community, and walking love,” Swift said.
Corrie Betts, the president of the NAACP Greater Hartford branch, spearheaded the project.
He said he grew up in the Barbour Street area, and the community is near and dear to his heart.
“Prior to my mom passing, she would always say, ‘Yeah, I got to do something about this. I got to do it,” Betts said. “And I can hear her reminding me, ‘There are things we need to do.'”
That something began about two years ago, and now, every Wednesday morning at Unity Plaza, people know there will be food, drinks, housing resources, medical attention and more.
