As the NAACP embarks on its second century, the nation's oldest civil rights organization is fighting harder than ever for economic and environmental justice for all, regardless of color.

Energized by the youngest president in its 100-year history - 36-year-old Benjamin Todd Jealous - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People branches across the country are casting a much wider net for new members.

Recruiting at churches, schools, job fairs and community events, the Sacramento branch has nearly tripled from 323 adult members to 845 over the past 14 months, with another 45 youth members, said president Betty Williams.

"They're white and black, Asian, Hispanic, Jewish, Muslim," said Williams. "I think people are discovering that civil rights is colorless, whether it's a gender issue, a religious issue, a same-sex issue."

Jeanette Flowers Kimmons, who's recruited more than 100 new members herself, added, "I always say don't wait until something happens to be part of the solution."

The Sacramento chapter – formed in 1916 in response to lynchings and kidnappings of mixed-race children who were to be raised as house boys – will mark the NAACP's 100th anniversary Nov. 14 with a fundraiser.

Last February, Jealous, the former director of Amnesty International's U.S. Human Rights Program, brought his message of inclusion and modernization to Sacramento community leaders, legislators and youths from 15 to 28.

The NAACP still is speaking out against violence.

The national organization was founded in 1909 by whites and blacks following a 1908 race riot in Springfield, Ill. Now, it's using new technology to fight injustice, Williams said. "If you're having police issues, you can post video on the national Web site and they will catalog them and watch national trends."

A former newspaper editor and Rhodes scholar, Jealous is "bridging the gap between new technology and old-school wisdom," Williams said.

When the Sacramento branch established its Web site, she said, "I had a huge issue with some old folks who said, 'We never had to have a Web site; it's like Big Brother.' "

But now the branch's Web site lists a variety of job openings, training opportunities and ways to get involved in the fight for equality.

On the third Saturday of each month, those who feel they've been discriminated against by police, bosses or landlords can meet with the branch's Legal Redress Committee from noon to 2 p.m. at the chapter's headquarters at 816 H St. Claims are investigated by branch attorneys.

The headquarters on the second floor of a bail bonds building is staffed by volunteers five days a week. Along with cries for justice they hear the cawing of Charlie, the landlord's pet macaw.

"It sounds off every day," said volunteer Jamel Johnson, 36.

He and other volunteers answer about 40 phone calls a day and serve about 15 drop-in visitors a week.

"They range from criminal situations, disputes with their bosses and child protective services, and education issues," said Johnson. "Either with a phone call or a letter, we can make our presence felt."

The chapter also has held an e-waste workshop to educate people on the environmental hazards of cell phones, computers and other gadgets. Members help sponsor free health clinics.

Williams said parents are learning how to advocate for their children in schools, and businesses have gotten tips on how to access federal stimulus money. The branch also has sponsored money management workshops, Williams said.

"We're teaching people how to create a budget in a recession, though in my humble opinion African Americans have been in a recession way before the nation – they just caught up with us."

Local African American leaders say the NAACP's survival depends on a fresh focus. "The challenge is addressing inequality in a society that doesn't want to deal with the issue of race," said former branch president and current Greater Sacramento Urban League CEO David DeLuz.

"We need not only to hold the system accountable, but to empower our communities and encourage self-advancement," DeLuz said.

Added community activist Sam Starks: "With technology changing and attitudes and values shifting, gone are the days all African Americans were linked together by the color of our skin. It should be just the NAAP, the National Association for the Advancement of People."

Jealous' core mission – to erase the disparities between the haves and have-nots – "is exactly what this organization needs at this time in its history," said George King, 78, the Sacramento branch's political action chair.

The struggle for economic and educational equity remains acute in black neighborhoods, King said. "Our drop-out rate is a national tragedy: While the statewide average was 24.2 percent, African American students were dropping out at 41.6 percent."

The branch offers scholarships and mentoring programs, and the Youth and College Division – with its own budget and officers – is up to 45 kids ages 12 to 17, said adviser Tonya Mack.

"They don't see color until we teach them to," Mack said. "We're looking for the whole rainbow," including Sacramento's growing number of Russian and Eastern European students.

"They're concerned about finding a job, starting a business and how they can afford college," Mack said. "They're starting to understand that the world they're living in is a world of their own creation."

Call The Bee's Stephen Magagnini, (916) 321-1072.