The NAACP

America Reformed

The NAACP stands for National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. This association was founded on February 12, 1909 and is nations oldest and most famous civil rights group. Shocked at the 1908 race riot in Springfield and the continuous violence committed against Blacks, Mary White Ovington and Oswald Garrison Villar (descendants of abolitionists) held a meeting discussing this injustice. Their main goal is to ensure all Blacks political, educational, social and economic rights. They also want to eliminate racial prejudice against the Blacks.
During the years of the Great Depression in the 1930's, the Blacks were probably hit the hardest so the NAACP put their focus on economic rights for the Blacks. Walter F. White was secretary of the NAACP and also an adviser and friend to Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was also the current President, Franklin D. Roosevelts wife and was his eyes and ears because he was disabled. Walter met with Eleanor to persuade her to persuade her husband to outlaw job discrimination. Roosevelt agreed and opened up a FEPC (Fair Employment's Practice Committee).
Despite their effort, there were still small hints of racial prejudice like the segregation's at school and hotels. Even throughout the South, some African Americans were still denied the rights to vote.
Population also increased rapidly as time went on from a population of 9,000 in 1917 to a whopping 90,000 in 1919; that also included 300 branches.
-Mina