The Boulder County chapter of the NAACP last week announced its decision to shut down, citing opposition from the city of Boulder and friction with the national NAACP.
The local NAACP branch decided to dissolve after the city’s efforts to “suppress and undermine” the organization’s racial equity work, the chapter’s announcement said. The decision follows “persistent retaliation” from the city of Boulder, the announcement said.
The group took issue with City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde, police leaders and “associated governmental entities” in its announcement.
The Daily Camera reached out to the city with questions on the NAACP branch’s comments.
“The city of Boulder was saddened to learn today of the decision by the leadership of the NAACP Boulder County Branch to dissolve the chapter,” the city wrote in a statement to the Camera on Saturday night. “We believe deeply in the mission of the NAACP, and this was not the outcome to months of conflict that we wished for.
“It is unfortunate that in the chapter’s statement announcing its decision, the leadership seeks to place the responsibility for its failure to operate effectively and in good faith on the city,” the statement continued. “It is particularly ironic that the allegations made against the city in this statement include behavior like ‘spreading false rumors’ and ‘character assassination’ — as these are the very tactics that led to a failed mediation attempt between the city and members of the Boulder County NAACP leadership team in July 2024.”
Rift had long been brewing
Tensions between NAACP Boulder County and the city have been growing since the branch called for Boulder police Chief Stephen Redfearn — a deputy chief at the time — and then-Chief Maris Herold .
NAACP Boulder County called for Redfearn’s resignation based on his time serving in the Aurora Police Department amid the death of Elijah McClain in 2019. The branch criticized Redfearn for his conduct as a captain on duty on the night when McClain encountered police, an incident that led to his death.
In December, Rivera-Vandermyde with the national NAACP against the Boulder County branch, alleging “unethical and unacceptable” actions. In the past, Rivera-Vandermyde has emphasized that there are no misconduct allegations against Redfearn related to the investigation of McClain’s death.
The chapter’s news release, dated Friday, said the national NAACP issued cease-and-desist letters, demanding that NAACP Boulder County stop its “unsubstantiated and inflammatory statements” toward Redfearn, the Boulder Police Department and Rivera-Vandermyde.
“This language mirrors the accusations from city officials, and to date, we have not been informed of any infractions on our part; we have consistently operated in accordance with the mission of the National NAACP,” the news release stated.
NAACP Boulder County’s Criminal Justice Chair Darren O’Connor recently faced suspension from the national NAACP after writing a for the Camera about Redfearn, according to the news release. The national NAACP issued a dictate to appoint an overseer for “all substantive decisions” within the branch, according to the news release.
“This crosses a line from the empowered legacy we sought to uphold in our community to unacceptably stifling our voices,” the news release stated. “While NAACP Boulder County will no longer exist, our commitment to safety, justice, and equality will grow stronger.”
The news release also said attacks on NAACP Boulder County were aimed at removing the branch’s leadership and turning it into “a powerless symbolic entity that serves the city’s interests rather than the community’s.”
The Camera is seeking further comment from the NAACP Boulder County branch.
City responds to comments
In its statement, the city elaborated on the July 2024 mediation attempt.
“During that mediation, despite signed agreements to keep the conversation confidential, a board member secretly recorded the session and then threatened to release it publicly if City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde chose to promote Stephen Redfearn as Boulder’s police chief,” the statement read. “It was this unethical behavior, not any rejection of the chapter’s right to critique government, that led to this conflict.”
The city also denied that it threatened legal action against NAACP Boulder County.
“What the city did do — as shared publicly in October 2024 — was to file a complaint with the National NAACP, and that complaint was specifically filed against three specific individuals of the Boulder County NAACP chapter, not the local chapter as a whole,” the statement read. “That decision was not made lightly.”
City officials also said they respect the right of National NAACP leaders to take whatever action they felt was appropriate in the situation, as they made their decision independently from the city.
“The city remains committed to working collaboratively with community partners and doing all it can to advance racial equity,” the statement read. “We look forward to forging deeper and constructive relationships with the state chapter of the NAACP, as well as with National NAACP, and others right here in Boulder who are doing tireless work to dismantle historic and ongoing oppression of Black and African-American people.”
