The Birth of NAACP Las Vegas Branch #1111
A Legacy Born in 1928
In 1928, the Las Vegas Branch of the NAACP—now known as Branch #1111—was founded by five community leaders: Arthur McCants, Mary Nettles, Zimmie Turner, William “Bill” Jones, and Clarence Ray. Their mission was clear: to fight the entrenched racial discrimination that excluded African Americans from jobs, housing, and public accommodations in a rapidly growing Las Vegas.
At the time, the construction of the Hoover Dam was drawing thousands of workers to Southern Nevada. Yet, Black workers were systematically denied jobs on the federally funded project and barred from living in the new company town of Boulder City. The founding of Branch #1111 was a direct response to these injustices.
Arthur McCants, a World War I veteran and son of a formerly enslaved man, served as the branch’s first president. Alongside Nettles and Turner, he pushed for equal employment and improved living conditions for Black families confined to West Las Vegas, the city’s segregated neighborhood.
These early leaders took bold action during a hostile era. Just a few years before the branch’s founding, the Ku Klux Klan marched down Fremont Street in full regalia—an open reminder of the dangers facing Black residents. Despite this, the branch pressed forward, providing a collective voice that demanded equality and dignity for African Americans.
The establishment of NAACP Las Vegas Branch #1111 was more than organizational—it was an act of survival, resistance, and hope. From its inception, the branch embodied the belief that civil rights are a birthright, not a privilege.
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