NAACP

NAACP
source
Name	National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Formation	February 12, 1909
Founders	W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells, Mary White Ovington, Moorfield Storey, William English Walling
Type	501(c)(4)
Headquarters	Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Membership	Approximately 500,000
Leader title	President & CEO
Leader name	Derrick Johnson
Key people	Leon W. Russell (Chairman)

NAACP. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is a civil rights organization in the United States, founded in 1909 by a multiracial group of activists including W. E. B. Du Bois and Ida B. Wells. Its mission is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights for all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination. The organization has been instrumental in landmark legal battles, legislative advocacy, and public campaigns against lynching, segregation, and voter suppression.

History

The organization was formed in response to the ongoing violence against African Americans, notably the Springfield race riot of 1908 in Illinois. Key founders, issuing "The Call," included Mary White Ovington, Moorfield Storey, and William English Walling. W. E. B. Du Bois was the only African American among the original executives and founded its influential magazine, The Crisis. Early campaigns focused on anti-lynching legislation, with activists like Walter Francis White investigating mob violence. The organization grew during the Great Migration and its legal team began challenging Jim Crow laws in the 1930s under the leadership of Charles Hamilton Houston. It played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement, organizing events like the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and working with leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Roy Wilkins.

Organization and leadership

The national headquarters is located in Baltimore, Maryland, with additional offices in Washington, D.C. and regional field operations. It is governed by a National Board of Directors, chaired by Leon W. Russell, with Derrick Johnson serving as President and Chief Executive Officer. The organization comprises over 2,000 local units, known as branches, across all 50 states, as well as college chapters and youth councils. Key internal entities include the Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which was originally part of the organization but became a separate entity in 1957. Notable past executives include James Weldon Johnson, Benjamin Hooks, and Bruce S. Gordon.

Activities and campaigns

Core initiatives focus on civic engagement, economic opportunity, education, health, and public safety. A major ongoing campaign is "This Is My Vote," aimed at combating voter ID laws and increasing electoral participation. The organization advocates for criminal justice reform, addressing issues like police brutality and sentencing disparities, and has issued travel advisories for states like Florida. It publishes an annual report, "The State of Black America," and presents awards such as the Spingarn Medal and Image Awards. Recent activism includes protests against the confirmation of judicial nominees like Jeffrey Beauregard Sessions and responses to incidents such as the killing of Trayvon Martin.

Legal impact and landmark cases

The legal strategy, developed by Charles Hamilton Houston and his protégé Thurgood Marshall, systematically attacked the doctrine of "separate but equal" established by Plessy v. Ferguson. This culminated in the historic 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education, which declared state-sponsored school segregation unconstitutional. Other pivotal cases include Smith v. Allwright, which outlawed white primaries; Shelley v. Kraemer, which banned racially restrictive housing covenants; and Loving v. Virginia, which struck down laws prohibiting interracial marriage. The organization's lawyers also successfully argued Morgan v. Virginia, ending segregation in interstate bus travel.

Criticism and controversies

The organization has faced criticism from various political spectrums. Some younger activists during the Black Power movement, such as Stokely Carmichael, viewed it as too conservative and integration-focused. It has been challenged by more militant groups like the Black Panther Party and, more recently, by movements like Black Lives Matter for its traditional institutional approach. From the right, figures like Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh have accused it of promoting racial divisiveness. Internal disputes have occurred, such as the 1993 dismissal of Executive Director Benjamin Chavis for financial mismanagement, and debates over its stance on issues like same-sex marriage, which it endorsed in 2012.

Category:Civil rights organizations in the United States Category:Organizations established in 1909