The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
- Founded on February 12, 1909, in response to the 1908 Springfield, Illinois race riot.
- From the beginning, it was a racially and religiously integrated organization.
- Early members included notable figures such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Mary White Ovington, and Mary McLeod Bethune.
- Its goal was to secure rights guaranteed by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments through legal means and political pressure.
Note
- The 1908 Springfield, Illinois race riot erupted after false accusations against Black residents.
- White mobs attacked the Black community, killing at least two people, destroying homes and businesses, and forcing many to flee.
- The violence shocked the nation and directly inspired the founding of the NAACP in 1909.
Expansion and Focus
- Expanded rapidly from 9,000 members in 1909 to about 500,000 by the end of World War II.
- Focused on anti-lynching campaigns, civil rights legislation lobbying, and legal battles against segregation and discrimination in education.
Leadership and Legal Victories
- Under leaders like Executive Secretary Walter White and legal strategist Charles Hamilton Houston, the NAACP played a pivotal role in landmark legal cases.
- Most significant was Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional.
Civil Rights Era (1950s–1960s)
- The NAACP continued legal advocacy through its Legal Defense Fund.
- Supported voter rights and Freedom Riders.
- Faced violent backlash, including the assassination of Mississippi Field Secretary Medgar Evers in 1963.
Example
Medgar Evers:
- Medgar Evers was a prominent civil rights activist and the first field secretary for the NAACP in Mississippi. A World War II veteran, Evers returned to the Jim Crow South determined to fight racial injustice.
- He organized voter registration drives, investigated racial crimes, and supported Black students attempting to integrate schools and universities, most notably James Meredith’s enrollment at the University of Mississippi.
- Evers was known for his bravery and persistence in the face of constant threats, working tirelessly to challenge segregation and promote civil rights in one of the most violently resistant Southern states.
- On June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers was assassinated outside his home in Jackson, Mississippi, just hours after President Kennedy delivered a major civil rights address.
- His death shocked the nation and galvanized the Civil Rights Movement.
- His widow, Myrlie Evers-Williams, continued his legacy, later becoming NAACP chairperson.
Major Campaigns
- Acted as a key organizer of events such as the 1963 March on Washington and participated in Freedom Summer.
- Though sometimes viewed as more cautious than newer groups, it still played a major role in securing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Continuing Role Today
- The NAACP remains active, addressing racial disparities in education, economic opportunity, criminal justice, and voting rights.
- Uses litigation, lobbying, and advocacy to confront systemic racism and social injustice.
- Continues to be recognized as one of the most enduring and influential civil rights organizations in the United States.
Historiography
- Traditional historians often view the NAACP as the cornerstone of the legal civil rights struggle. They emphasize its methodical approach to dismantling segregation through court cases like Brown v. Board of Education, praising figures such as Thurgood Marshall and Charles Hamilton Houston for their legal brilliance and institutional discipline.
- Revisionist scholars criticize the NAACP for being overly cautious and disconnected from grassroots activism. They argue that the organization was slow to adopt direct action tactics and often sidelined younger or more radical voices. This view stresses how organizations like SNCC and CORE overshadowed the NAACP during the 1960s movement.
- Contemporary/post revisionist historians apply intersectional analysis to assess the NAACP’s legacy. They recognize the contributions of women like Ella Baker and Daisy Bates, often marginalized in earlier accounts. This perspective highlights the organization's long-term advocacy for racial and gender justice, while acknowledging its internal struggles with representation and strategy.
