The National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People was founded today in 1909, a century after the birth of
Abraham Lincoln. A group of white liberals horrified by the violence
against blacks, particularly after a race riot the previous year in
Springfield, IL, issued a call for a meeting to discuss civil rights.
60 people answered the call, including Ida Wells-Barnett and W.E.B. Du
Bois.
They began a campaign against lynching,
promoted voting rights, and economic parity. Thirty years later, the
NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund was established as the legal
branch to challenge segregation in both schools and public transit.
Over the years, the goals of the NAACP have expanded to encompass the
growth and needs of African Americans as disparity continues in
employment, housing, health care, education, voting, and the legal
system.
To learn more or to get involved, visit the
http://www.naacp.org/.
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