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Rev. Dr. Amos Brown is set to receive the Spingard Medal, the highest honor from the NAACP.
The NAACP, will honor Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown with the 2026 Spingarn Medal in July for his lifetime of working toward the cause of equality, justice, and opportunity for Black Americans.
SAN FRANCISCO - The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will honor San Francisco's Rev. Amos C. Brown with the highest honor the organization bestows – the 2026 Spingarn Medal – in July for his lifetime of working toward the cause of equality, justice, and opportunity for Black Americans.
The former pastor emeritus of San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church, which is the oldest Black congregation in the U.S. west of the Mississippi, will be receiving one of the most prestigious awards in the Black community, according to the NAACP's news release.
"I’m deeply moved by this honor, and it has an even deeper personal meaning to me as it was awarded some 60 years ago to my friend and mentor Medgar Evers, who gave his life for the cause of civil rights in our nation," Brown said. "This recognition reflects the collective work and shared commitment of those who continue to stand for justice, equality, and human dignity."
Legacy echoed
The backstory:
The Spingarn Medal was named after the late J.E. Spingarn who served as the NAACP chairman of the board of directors.
This award has been given to trailblazers since 1915 and honors "the man or woman of African descent and American citizenship who shall have made the highest achievement during the preceding year or years in any honorable field," according to the release.
Previous recipients include the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Jesse Jackson Sr., former Morehouse College President John Hope, former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, and last year’s recipient was former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.
The award is intended to draw the public's attention toward Black achievement and inspire young African Americans.
Rev. Amos C. Brown speaks during the San Francisco Interfaith Council Prayer Service & Vigil Honoring the Memory of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at Third Baptist Church in San Francisco, on Tuesday, January 27, 2025. (Photo by Scott Strazzante/ …
A San Francisco pioneer
Dig deeper:
Brown has a lengthy history of activism that he said in an interview with KTVU was "shaped by the powers of bigotry and injustice perpetuated against my family."
This spark of social justice was ignited after a close family member, Clarence, was stopped by racist police in the 1950s who beat him, and that event plagued him with PTSD and excruciating headaches for the rest of his life.
He said he saw how Clarence's trauma impacted his mother, who was left with nightmares for the rest of her life. Not soon after, came the tragic lynching of Emmett Till, which reminded him of his own family and of Clarence.
After hearing wise advice from his longtime friend and mentor -- Evers – Brown said: "Don't just be angry, upset or disturbed, be smart and fight back."
A then 14-year-old Brown did just that by organizing the first NAACP youth council in his hometown of Mississippi to fight against the mistreatment and injustice of Black people back in 1955.
As a graduate of the respected historically Black college, Morehouse College, Brown was one of just eight college students to attend the only class ever taught by Dr. King, and later helped organize youth from Atlanta traveling to the March on Washington in 1963, according to the NAACP.
Brown has been a central figure in the NAACP for decades with roles on its national board, and attending conferences where he's interacted with civil rights legends like the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall.
And until last year, he served as president of the San Francisco branch.
Rev. Amos Brown stepping down from pulpit at Third Baptist Church
Civil rights activist Rev. Amos Brown is delivering his final sermon as senior pastor of San Francisco's Third Baptist Church this Sunday, as he steps down from the role he’s had for nearly 50 years.
Community Impact:
Under his leadership, Third Baptist Church established an after-school academic enrichment program named Back on Track in partnership with Temple Emanuel Congregation and the Charles A. Tindley Academy of Music, according to Brown's biography.
The Back on Track program has served more than 2,000 young people from diverse, underserved, multicultural populations throughout San Francisco.
He also extended his civil rights efforts into the political world with notable titles in California.
He served as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 1996-2001.
According to his biography, he has served as a member of the governing board of San Francisco Community College, chair of the Bay Area Ecumenical Pastors Conference, and the first vice president of the California State Baptist Convention.
Upon reflecting on his career, Brown said his job still isn't done – especially with the Trump administration.
"The Spingarn Award was created to celebrate Black progress, but in America today we are watching that progress be deliberately dismantled by the administration’s openly racist policies and those who support them," Brown said. "We have fought too long to allow these forces to push us back, disenfranchise us, and deny us our God-given rights. In the face of this evil, we must stand taller, shout louder and work harder than ever."
Brown will accept the 111th Spingarn Medal on July 22 at 7 p.m. at the 117th NAACP National Convention in Chicago.
Third Baptist Church's Pastor Emeritus, Rev. Amos Brown, reacts to threats of deployment of troops to San Francisco. Photo by Jaden Schaul.
The Source: Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown interview, NAACP news release, Third Baptist Church website, and NAACP biography of Rev. Amos Brown.