W.E. B. DuBois And James Weldon Johnson
On February 12, 1909, Six Blacks, Most Of Them Former Members Of The Short-Lived Niagara Movement, And 47 Whites Founded The National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People (NAACP).
W.E.B. DuBois, Who Served The Organization For 20 Years, Was The NAACP's Only African American Officeholder During The Early Years. It Wasn't Until 1920 That James Weldon Johnson Became The First Black Executive Secretary.
The NAACP's Stated Purpose Was To Attain Nothing Less Than Full Citizenship Rights For Black Americans. Methods For Reaching These Goals Have Included Political Lobbying, Mass Pressure Tactics, Propoganda And Legal Action.
The Nation's Oldest Civil Rights Organization Has Won Several Supreme Court Victories. One Of The Most Famous Is Brown v. The Board Of Education (1954), Which Outlawed Segregated Public Schools.
The Spingarn Medal, The Organization's Highest Honor, Is Awarded Annually "To The Man Or Woman Of African Descent Who Shall Have Made The Highest Achievement During The Preceding Year, Or Years, In An Honorable Field Of Human Endeavor." The First Medal, Which Was Named For Chairman Of The Board, Joel E. Spingarn, Was Awarded In 1915 To Scientist, Ernest E. Just, For His Work In The Field Of Biology.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
