North Carolina Black Alliance (NCBA) is a North Carolina-based organization that advocates on racial issues pertaining to Black people. The NCBA organizes voter mobilization efforts in North Carolina on college campuses, organizing transportation to polls and providing voter information to voters. ¹

The NCBA opposes election-integrity laws. In April 2025, the NCBA co-signed a statement by the League of Women Voters North Carolina opposing an appeals court decision that could have removed over 65,000 votes cast during the 2024 election from vote counts based on election integrity laws passed after the election, claiming that the ruling would be discriminatory towards ethnic minorities, young people, and military members. ² The appeals court ruled that voters with incomplete registrations, who did not provide photo identification, or overseas voters that have never resided in North Carolina could have their votes not counted following changes to election integrity laws. ³

Background

The North Carolina Black Alliance is a charitable nonprofit organization that was founded in 2001 to organize campaigns supporting Black political activism in North Carolina. It advocates for public policies to advance the socio-economic status of Black people and for state-level policies that offer social programs to Black people. ⁴

The NCBA scrutinizes localities in North Carolina for the number of elected Black officials they have. It uses voter mobilization efforts to increase the number of ethnic minorities who vote and to encourage people to vote for candidates who focus on issues pertaining to Black people. ⁴

Environmental Advocacy

In 2024, the North Carolina Black Alliance partnered with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to advise the department on what projects should be funded under Inflation Reduction Act programs. ⁵ NCBA advocated that DEQ and other public agencies fund infrastructure and other environmentalist projects in ethnic minority communities, claiming that they have the greatest need for lowered carbon emissions and for environmentalist energy sources. NCBA also advocates for publicly funded weather-dependent energy programs and policies that restrict conventional energy use to improve the health of ethnic minority communities. ⁶

Voter Mobilization

The North Carolina Black Alliance has an HBCU Think Tank project that meets with students from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in North Carolina to promote political activism and increased funding for HBCUs. ¹

NCBA organizes voter mobilization efforts on college campuses in North Carolina. It provides transportation for students to polling sites and provides students with candidate and voter information while also advocating for increased support for Black politicians. ¹

Related Organizations

The North Carolina Black Alliance lists the North Carolina Association of Black County Officials, North Carolina Black Elected Municipal Officials, North Carolina Caucus of Black School Board Members, and the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus Foundation as affiliate organizations on its website. ⁴

The NCBA lists the North Carolina NAACP, Carolina Small Business Development Fund, NC Community Development Initiative, NC Budget and Tax Center, NC Black Publishers Association, NC Justice Center, and the NC Institute of Minority Economic Development as partner organizations. ⁴

Leadership

As of 2025, Courtney Crowder was the executive director of the North Carolina Black Alliance and was also the Raleigh managing director for APCO Worldwide, a global public affairs and communications consultant company. From 2012 to 2019, Crowder operated Crowder Consulting Company, a government-relations firm he founded after serving as legislative director and senior advisor to former North Carolina Governor Beverly E. Perdue (D). He also served on former U.S. Representative Bob Etheridge’s (D-NC) campaign and congressional staff and sits on the boards of University of North Carolina Rex Healthcare, North Carolina League of Conservation Voters, YMCA of the Triangle, Advance North Carolina, and the North Carolina Education Lottery. ⁷

Financials

In 2023, the North Carolina Black Alliance reported $2.5 million in total revenue and $2.2 million in total expenses, including $709,814 in salaries and compensation of employees. ⁸

1. “How North Carolina Black Alliance is driving change for Black communities.” WRAL News. January 29, 2025. https://www.wral.com/story/how-north-carolina-black-alliance-is-driving-change-for-black-communities/21832872/.
2. “North Carolina Voting Rights Coalition Condemns Court Ruling That Threatens to Invalidate Over 65,000 Legitimate Ballots.” League of Women Voters North Carolina. April 8, 2025. https://my.lwv.org/north-carolina-state/article/north-carolina-voting-rights-coalition-condemns-court-ruling-threatens-invalidate-over-65000.
3. Edelman, Adam. “New court decision in a disputed North Carolina race means 65,000 votes are a step closer to be being thrown out.” NBC News. April 4, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/new-court-decision-disputed-north-carolina-race-means-65000-votes-are-rcna199746.
4. “About Us.” North Carolina Black Alliance. Accessed September 17, 2025. https://ncblackalliance.org/about-us/.
5. “2024 Impact Report.” North Carolina Black Alliance. Accessed September 19, 2025. https://ncblackalliance.org/impact/.
6. Martin, Chad. “NCBA applauds DEQ’s $2.79M investment in local energy projects.” May 22, 2025. https://ncblackalliance.org/ncba-applauds-deqs-2-79m-investment-in-local-energy-projects/.
7. “Courtnery Crowder.” Leadership North Carolina. Accessed September 19, 2025. https://leadershipnc.org/courtney-crowder/.
8. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). North Carolina Black Alliance Inc. Part I, Lines 12-18.