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National History
Since its inception the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was poised for a long, tumultuous and rewarding history. Although it may be possible to chronicle the challenging and harrowing legacy of the NAACP, the real story of the nation's most significant civil rights organization lies in the hearts and minds of the people who would not stand still while the rights of some of America's darker citizens were denied.
From the ballot box to the classroom, the dedicated workers, organizers, and leaders who forged this great organization and maintain its status as a champion of social justice, fought long and hard to ensure that the voices of African Americans would be heard. The legacy of those pioneers such as W.E.B DuBois, Thurgood Marshall and Roy Wilkins and the hundreds of thousands of nameless faces who worked tirelessly can not and must not be forgotten.
The history of the NAACP, is one of blood sweat and tears. From bold investigations of mob brutality, protests of mass murders, segregation and discrimination, to testimony before congressional committees on the vicious tactics used to bar African Americans from the ballot box, it was the talent and tenacity of NAACP members that saved lives and changed many negative aspects of American society. While much of its history is chronicled in books, articles, pamphlets and magazines, the true movement lies in the faces---black, white, yellow, red , and brown---united to awaken the conscientiousness of a people, and a nation. This is the legacy of the NAACP!
National Links:
- How NAACP Began
Mary White Ovington's 1914 account of the early years of the NAACP. - Timeline
Trace the history of the NAACP from 1909 to today. - NAACP Archive is the Largest at the Library of Congress
For nearly 40 years, the Library of Congress has been the official repository for NAACP records. There are 8,114 manuscript containers and approximately 5 million items on the day-to-day activities of the organization. "The NAACP records are a virtual encyclopedia of the African American experience in the 20th century." - Henry Lee Moon Library & Civil Rights Archives
The library is a national information center that highlights the legacy of the NAACP and its struggle for civil rights. It maintains a reference collection of materials, including books and photos, about the civil rights movement and other related topics as well as works by and about those who contributed to the movement.