The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination. The NAACP has over 2,200 branches and units across the United States, and is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. The organization's activities include advocacy, litigation, and education. The NAACP has been involved in many important civil rights cases, including Brown v. Board of Education, which led to the desegregation of public schools in the United States.