Nathaniel Colley Coalition Mission Statement
Educate Sacramento residents and elected officials about Nathaniel Colley, his legal legacy, civil rights issues past and present, develop new community leaders, and champion civil rights and social justice issues.
Nathaniel Colley, 1st African American to establish a private law practice in Sacramento
Nathaniel S. Colley was one of California’s preeminent attorneys in the battle against racial, social, and economic discrimination. During his long and distinguished legal career, Colley also served as the Chairman of both the NAACP’s Western Region and its National Legal Committee.
It mattered little if he was involved in high profile civil rights cases or was representing poor or working-class clients in civil or criminal cases. Colley’s passion for justice always drove him to get the best outcome for those he represented.
Nathaniel Colley had many “Firsts” ~ First African American member of the Sacramento County Bar Association ~ First attorney to file a racial segregation lawsuit in Sacramento ~ Established and provided legal services to other National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons (NAACP) chapters in Northern California and the Western U.S. to fight racial segregation ~ and Legal strategist who helped end discriminatory practices in housing, public accommodations, and public and private developments in California and the nation.
Nathaniel Colley Coalition Goals:
#1. Preserve the legacies of Nathaniel Colley and other Sacramento civil rights champions as an essential community asset.
#2. Create a repository of multi-media information that can be used as a resource to organize, educate and promote solutions to Sacramento’s social injustice and economic and environmental inequality conditions.
#3. Promote Partnerships that educate community members of all ages to create a positive/inclusive community response to civil rights and social justice issues in Sacramento.
#4. Create the Nathaniel S. Colley Civil Rights Center (CCRC) at the site of Sacramento’s first legal challenge against public housing discrimination.
#5. Create a public policy program responsive to community needs.
