West Las Vegas Library Teams With NAACP for Civics Workshops

Barely a year after opening its doors to a historically Black neighborhood that spent decades without a full-service library, the West Las Vegas Library has teamed up with the local NAACP branch to host a new series of civics workshops.

Las Vegas Weekly reported that the partnership brings the Civic Makers Lab to the community, offering free courses funded through a $15,000 Urban Libraries Council grant.

Library card registrations have tripled since the facility opened, with the branch issuing 5,466 new cards between January and June 2026, according to branch manager Lenika Coleman. Coleman told Las Vegas Weekly that a growing catalog of offerings—including a popular journaling group, technology workshops, and job and resource fairs—gives residents plenty of reasons to stop by.

The Civic Makers Lab series represents a draw for the community. The first session on September 10 relied on Civil Rights history to illustrate how decisions are made across different levels of government on issues such as housing, transportation, and policing.

“You can’t go down to Washington D.C. and say, ‘Hey, we need more houses in 89106,’” Quentin Savwoir, president of NAACP Las Vegas, told the room before helping attendees identify their elected officials, Las Vegas Weekly reported. Savwoir tied the lesson directly to the neighborhood, noting that 1940s and 1950s Las Vegas pushed Black residents into the Historic Westside.

“Libraries aren’t just buildings with books in them anymore. They are institutions where people can come and level themselves up. No matter what your walk of life is, you can find something for yourself here,” said Quentin Savwoir, president of NAACP Las Vegas, to Las Vegas Weekly.

History Lessons and Mentorship

Savwoir said that the stories of systemic segregation and incremental victories are not as distant as some might assume. The workshops feature participants like Rose Gordon, a current Clark County elections worker and former Reno-Sparks NAACP president, working alongside younger generations learning the history for the first time.

“They have the playbook. They know how we’ve overcome these fights before,” Savwoir said, according to Las Vegas Weekly. Now in her 70s, he says, her new role lies in mentoring the next generation.

“They don’t teach us the history of this stuff in schools anymore,” Savwoir told Las Vegas Weekly, adding that some youths he has spoken with do not know the NAACP from the National Collegiate Athletic Association. That gap makes local engagement vital in the Westside, where a deep history of Black residents working to hold America to its promises remains foundational.

Future Sessions and Library Growth

The series continued on October 15 with a second session focusing on voting rights. Savwoir told Las Vegas Weekly that nearly a quarter of the attendees from the first session returned alongside new faces.

Set for Saturdays in January and February with specific dates forthcoming, the upcoming pair of workshops will focus on subjects like “how to build a squad” and “how to plan a campaign.” A March gathering remains a possibility, though Savwoir mentioned he might hold off until the 2027 session of the Nevada Legislature has wrapped up.

West Las Vegas Library teams with NAACP for civics workshops — Las Vegas Weekly

Meanwhile, the library branch itself continues expanding its offerings. The facility garnered two silver Anthem Awards from the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences after operating for less than a year. Next spring, the branch plans to host a community block party featuring a vendor area for local entrepreneurs, a chalk fest, and a business incubation program.

“We found that we were the hot spot for sewing,” Coleman shared with Las Vegas Weekly while discussing a complimentary EcoStitch 101 class organized alongside EmpoweredMinds Achieve and backed by a $200,000 grant originating from the James M. Cox Foundation.

“We’re not just the library, we’re your spot, your third place—where you can come and have fun, do the crafts, and all the things that we love to do,” Coleman told Las Vegas Weekly.