History of NAACP in Timeline

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a prominent American civil rights organization founded in 1909. It emerged from an interracial effort led by figures like W.E.B. Du Bois, Mary White Ovington and Ida B. Wells, aiming to combat racial injustice against African Americans. Throughout its history, influential leaders such as Thurgood Marshall and Roy Wilkins have guided the organization. As the largest and one of the oldest civil rights groups in the United States, the NAACP has been at the forefront of advocating for equality and justice for African Americans.

1901: Pan-American Exposition Caricatures

The Pan-American Exposition of 1901 in Buffalo, New York, featured disparaging caricatures of slave life in the South and life in Africa. Mary Talbert informed W. E. B. Du Bois, sparking a coalition to form.

1905: Meeting of African-American Leaders

In 1905, thirty-two prominent African-American leaders met to discuss the challenges facing African Americans and potential strategies and solutions, focusing on Southern states' disenfranchisement of blacks.

1906: Niagara Movement Convened in Canada

In 1906, due to segregated hotels in the U.S., the Niagara Movement convened in Canada at the Erie Beach Hotel on the Canadian side of the Niagara River in Fort Erie, Ontario.

1907: Niagara Movement Meeting in Boston

In 1907, the Niagara Movement held a meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, continuing their discussions and work on civil rights issues.

1908: Disenfranchisement of Blacks

By 1908, every southern state had established laws to disenfranchise blacks, excluding most from the political system, and Jim Crow statutes legalized racial segregation, which the NAACP worked to overturn through litigation.

January 1909: Organizing for Black Civil Rights

In January 1909, Mary White Ovington, journalist William English Walling, and Henry Moskowitz met in New York City to organize for black civil rights. They sought support from prominent Americans and set a meeting for February 12, 1909, the centennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth.

February 12, 1909: Organization Founding Date

February 12, 1909, coinciding with Abraham Lincoln's 100th birthday, is often cited as the NAACP's founding date, despite the first large meeting occurring three months later. The establishment of the date aimed at honoring President Abraham Lincoln, who emancipated enslaved African Americans.

May 30, 1909: Niagara Movement Conference

On May 30, 1909, the Niagara Movement conference was held at New York City's Henry Street Settlement House. An organization of more than 40 people was formed, identifying as the National Negro Committee. Lillian Wald, founder of the Henry Street Settlement, was among the founding members.

1909: NAACP Founded

In 1909, the NAACP was founded. Seven members of the Niagara Movement joined the NAACP's Board of Directors. The Niagara Movement, formed exclusively by African Americans, had a more radical platform than the NAACP, which included four European American founders: Mary White Ovington, Henry Moskowitz, William English Walling, and Oswald Garrison Villard.

1909: Formation of NAACP

In 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was formed as an interracial organization. The goal was to advance justice for African Americans, and the founding group included W. E. B. Du Bois, Mary White Ovington, Moorfield Storey, Ida B. Wells, Lillian Wald, and Henry Moskowitz.

1910: Disbandment of the Niagara Movement

In 1910, The Niagara Movement disbanded due to limited resources and internal conflict. Seven of its members joined the Board of Directors of the NAACP, which had been founded in 1909.

1911: Incorporation of the NAACP

In 1911, the NAACP was incorporated, solidifying its mission and formal structure as a civil rights organization.

1912: First NAACP Branches Added

In 1912, the NAACP added its first branches in Boston and Chicago, expanding its reach and organizational structure.

1913: Expansion of NAACP Membership

In 1913, seven more branches were added as the NAACP began to welcome new members, furthering its growth.

1913: NAACP Opposes Wilson's Segregation Policies

In 1913, the NAACP organized opposition to President Woodrow Wilson's introduction of racial segregation into federal government policy, workplaces, and hiring.

1914: NAACP Membership and Influence

By 1914, the NAACP had 6,000 members and 50 branches, and was influential in securing the right for African Americans to serve as military officers in World War I.

1914: Joel Spingarn Becomes Chairman of NAACP

In 1914, Professor Emeritus Joel Spingarn of Columbia University became chairman of the NAACP. He recruited Jewish leaders like Jacob Schiff, Jacob Billikopf, and Rabbi Stephen Wise for the board.

1915: Growth of NAACP Branches and Membership

By 1915, the NAACP had grown to 50 branches with 6,000 members, indicating increasing support and influence.

1915: Moorfield Storey's Presidency Ends

In 1915, Moorfield Storey, a white attorney, ended his term as the president of the NAACP, a position he had held since its founding. During his tenure, W.E.B. Du Bois served as editor of the association's magazine, "The Crisis".

1915: NAACP Protests 'The Birth of a Nation'

In 1915, the NAACP led protests against the film 'The Birth of a Nation'.

Loading Video...

1915: Guinn v. United States

In 1915, the NAACP played a significant role in challenging Oklahoma's discriminatory grandfather clause in Guinn v. United States.

1916: James Weldon Johnson Joins NAACP

In 1916, James Weldon Johnson was invited by chairman Joel Spingarn to serve as field secretary of the NAACP, contributing to a significant increase in membership.

1917: Buchanan v. Warley

In 1917, the NAACP persuaded the Supreme Court to rule in Buchanan v. Warley that state and local governments cannot officially segregate African Americans into separate residential districts.

October 1919: NAACP Investigates Elaine Race Riot

In October 1919, the NAACP sent Walter F. White to Phillips County, Arkansas, to investigate the Elaine Race Riot, where white vigilantes and federal troops killed over 200 black tenant farmers after an attack on a sharecroppers' union meeting. White later published a report on the riot in the Chicago Daily News.

1920: Expansion into the South

By 1920, the NAACP had 74 chapters in the South, including every state, despite the challenges of Jim Crow violence.

1920: NAACP Branches and Membership Surge

By 1920, the NAACP had experienced significant growth, reaching 395 branches and over 90,000 members.

1920: Leadership Roles in NAACP

From 1920 to 1958, James Weldon Johnson and Walter F. White successively served as executive secretary and acted as chief operating officer. They were more widely known as NAACP leaders compared to the presidents during those years.

1920: James Weldon Johnson Elected Head of NAACP

In 1920, James Weldon Johnson was elected head of the NAACP, after being instrumental in increasing membership, and led the organization's lobbying and litigation efforts to advocate for equal rights for the "American Negro".

1933: Walter F. White critiqued the NAACP's youth program

In 1933, Walter F. White released a memo to the NAACP Board of Directors critiquing the lack of a standardized youth program in the NAACP, stating that one of their biggest problems was that energized young people's ideas were often stifled.

1935: NAACP Organizes Anti-Lynching Exhibition

In 1935, the NAACP organized the first of two New York anti-lynching exhibitions to support the Costigan-Wagner Bill, following the wide publication of "An American Lynching," an account of the Lynching of Henry Lowry, in support of the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill.

1935: NAACP Challenges Segregation in Maryland

In 1935, the NAACP's Baltimore chapter, under president Lillie Mae Carroll Jackson, challenged segregation in Maryland state professional schools by supporting the Murray v. Pearson case argued by Marshall.

1936: Juanita Jackson Mitchell Appointed National Youth Director

In 1936, Juanita Jackson Mitchell was appointed as the national director of a new Youth and College Division within the NAACP. The division's goals included forming activists and leaders, educating youth on black history, building pride and cooperation, and supporting national goals of the NAACP.

1936: Establishment of NAACP Youth Sections

In 1936, youth sections of the NAACP were established. Currently, there are over 600 groups with more than 30,000 individuals involved.

1938: Houston's victory in Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada

Houston's victory in Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada in 1938 led to the formation of the Legal Defense Fund in 1939.

1939: Formation of the Legal Defense Fund

In 1939 Houston's victory in Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada (1938) led to the formation of the Legal Defense Fund.

1939: NAACP Creates Legal Defense Fund

In 1939, the board of directors of the NAACP created the Legal Defense Fund specifically for tax purposes, which initially functioned as the NAACP legal department.

1944: Supreme Court Ruled Against White Primary in Smith v. Allwright

In 1944, the Supreme Court ruled against the "white primary" system in the South in Smith v. Allwright, challenging the practice of Southern state Democratic parties using white-only primaries to exclude blacks from the political process.

1945: NAACP Membership Numbers in 1945

In 1945, the NAACP reported 894 branches and 351,000 members, signifying its widespread presence and influence, especially in communities where Black folks lived.

1954: Supreme Court Decision in Brown v. Board of Education

In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that state-sponsored segregation of public elementary schools was unconstitutional, bolstered by that victory, the NAACP pushed for full desegregation throughout the South.

December 5, 1955: Montgomery Bus Boycott Begins

Starting on December 5, 1955, NAACP activists, including Edgar Nixon and Rosa Parks, organized a bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, to protest segregation on the city's buses.

1956: South Carolina Legislature Creates Anti-NAACP Oath

In 1956, the South Carolina legislature created an anti-NAACP oath, resulting in the dismissal of twenty-one Black teachers at the Elloree Training School who refused to comply.

1957: Legal Defense Fund Becomes Separate Entity

In 1957, the Legal and Educational Defense Fund, Inc., became a separate legal entity from the NAACP due to intimidation by the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service, though it was intended to operate in accordance with NAACP policy.

1957: Formation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

In 1957, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was formed, representing a shift towards direct action and mass mobilization for advancing the rights of African Americans.

1957: Bryan v. Austin Civil Rights Case

In 1957, the dismissal of twenty-one Black teachers at the Elloree Training School for refusing to take the anti-NAACP oath led to Bryan v. Austin, which became an important civil rights case.

1958: Supreme Court Overturns Alabama's Action Against NAACP

Although the Supreme Court eventually overturned Alabama's action against the NAACP in NAACP v. Alabama, 357 U.S. 449 (1958), the NAACP lost its leadership role in the Civil Rights Movement while it was barred from Alabama.

1958: James Weldon Johnson and Walter F. White's Role end date

In 1958, James Weldon Johnson and Walter F. White's service as executive secretary came to an end. They were significantly known as NAACP leaders compared to the presidents during those years.

1958: South Accounts for Over Half of NAACP Chapters and Members

In 1958, the South accounted for well over half of the NAACP's 1,230 chapters and 302,000 members, marking a significant shift in the organization's geographical focus.

1960: Formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

In 1960, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was formed, representing a shift towards direct action and mass mobilization for advancing the rights of African Americans.

1961: Disputes Emerge Between NAACP and Legal Defense Fund

After 1961, serious disputes emerged between the NAACP and the Legal Defense Fund, leading to considerable confusion among the public regarding the roles and responsibilities of each organization.

August 28, 1963: March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

On August 28, 1963, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place. Later that fall, President John F. Kennedy sent a civil rights bill to Congress.

July 1964: Passage of Civil Rights Act of 1964

In July 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson successfully persuaded Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act, aimed at ending racial discrimination in employment, education, and public accommodations.

1964: Library of Congress as Official Repository

Since 1964, the Library of Congress has served as the NAACP's official repository, housing the organization's non-current records.

1965: Passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson followed the Civil Rights Act with the passage of the Voting Rights Act, which provided for protection of the franchise, with a role for federal oversight and administrators in places where voter turnout was historically low.

1966: Kivie Kaplan Becomes NAACP President

In 1966, Kivie Kaplan became the president of the NAACP.

1969: The Stonewall Riots of 1969

As the American LGBT rights movement gained steam after the Stonewall riots of 1969, the NAACP became increasingly affected by the movement to gain rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

1972: End of Initial Digitization Project with ProQuest

In 2011, the NAACP teamed with ProQuest to digitize and host online the earlier portion of its archives. The initial phase covered nearly two million pages of documents, from the national, legal, and branch offices throughout the country through 1972.

1975: W. Montague Cobb Takes Over as NAACP President

After Kivie Kaplan's death in 1975, scientist W. Montague Cobb took over as president of the NAACP.

1977: Benjamin Hooks Succeeds Roy Wilkins as Executive Director

In 1977, Roy Wilkins retired as executive director of the NAACP, and Benjamin Hooks, a lawyer and clergyman, was elected as his successor.

1978: NAACP Sponsors ACT-SO Program

Since 1978, the NAACP has sponsored the Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) program for high school youth around the United States to recognize and award African-American youth who demonstrate accomplishment in academics, technology, and the arts.

1982: W. Montague Cobb's term as NAACP President ends

In 1982, W. Montague Cobb's term as NAACP President ended.

1992: Rupert Richardson Becomes NAACP President

In 1992, Rupert Richardson began her term as president of the NAACP.

1992: NAACP Runs Into Debt

In the 1990s, the NAACP ran into debt. In 1992, the dismissal of two leading officials further added to the picture of an organization in deep crisis.

1993: Benjamin Chavis Selected as NAACP Executive Director

In 1993, the NAACP's Board of Directors selected Reverend Benjamin Chavis over Reverend Jesse Jackson to fill the position of executive director.

1995: Myrlie Evers-Williams Elected NAACP President

In 1995, following the dismissal of Benjamin Chavis, Myrlie Evers-Williams defeated NAACP chairperson William Gibson for president, after Gibson was accused of overspending and mismanagement of the organization's funds.

1996: Kweisi Mfume Named NAACP President

In 1996, Congressman Kweisi Mfume, a Democratic Congressman from Maryland and former head of the Congressional Black Caucus, was named the organization's president.

2000: Lee Alcorn Criticizes Al Gore's Vice-Presidential Pick

During the 2000 presidential election, Lee Alcorn, president of the Dallas NAACP branch, criticized Al Gore's selection of Senator Joe Lieberman for his vice-presidential candidate because Lieberman was Jewish.

2000: NAACP Launches Get-Out-The-Vote Offensive

In the second half of the 1990s, the NAACP restored its finances, permitting the NAACP National Voter Fund to launch a major get-out-the-vote offensive in the 2000 U.S. presidential elections, leading to increased African American voter turnout.

2003: Scope of Records at Library of Congress

By 2003, the records held at the Library of Congress comprised approximately five million items, spanning the NAACP's history from its founding until 2003.

October 2004: IRS Investigates NAACP's Tax-Exempt Status

In October 2004, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) began investigating the NAACP's tax-exempt status based on chairman Julian Bond's speech at the 2004 Convention, where he criticized President George W. Bush and other political figures.

2004: George W. Bush Declines Invitation to NAACP Convention

In 2004, President George W. Bush declined an invitation to speak to the NAACP's national convention due to harsh statements about him by its leaders, describing his relationship with the leadership as "basically nonexistent."

2005: Julian Bond Speaks on Gay Rights in Richmond, Virginia

In a 2005 speech in Richmond, Virginia, Bond advocated for the rights of gays and lesbians and stated his support for same-sex marriage.

July 20, 2006: George W. Bush Addresses NAACP National Convention

On July 20, 2006, President George W. Bush addressed the NAACP national convention, making a bid for increasing support by African Americans for Republicans during a midterm election.

August 2006: IRS Investigation of NAACP Concludes

In August 2006, the IRS investigation of the NAACP concluded with the agency finding that Julian Bond's remarks did not violate the group's tax-exempt status.

2006: Julian Bond Boycotts Coretta Scott King's Funeral

In 2006, Julian Bond boycotted the funeral services for Coretta Scott King, as he said the King children had chosen an anti-gay megachurch, which was in contradiction to their mother's longstanding support for the rights of gay and lesbian people.

2007: NAACP Membership in 2007

As of 2007, the NAACP had approximately 425,000 paying and non-paying members, reflecting its continued presence and reach.

2007: Julian Bond's Speech on Gay Marriage

In a 2007 speech on Martin Luther King Day at Clayton State University, Julian Bond said, "If you don't like gay marriage, don't get gay married," pitting elements of the NAACP against religious groups who oppose gay marriage.

February 2010: Roslyn Brock Replaces Julian Bond

In February 2010, healthcare administrator Roslyn Brock replaced Julian Bond, a civil rights movement activist and former Georgia State Senator, as chairman of the NAACP.

2011: NAACP Partners with ProQuest to Digitize Archives

In 2011, the NAACP partnered with ProQuest to digitize and host online the earlier portion of its archives, covering the period through 1972.

May 19, 2012: NAACP Endorses Same-Sex Marriage

On May 19, 2012, the NAACP's board of directors formally endorsed same-sex marriage as a civil right with a vote of 62-2 during a quarterly meeting in Miami, Florida. NAACP President Benjamin Jealous cited the 14th Amendment and equal protection as the basis for the decision. Following this endorsement, Keith Ratliff Sr. resigned from the NAACP board.

2012: NAACP Participates Against North Carolina Amendment 1

In 2012, state NAACP leaders such as William J. Barber II of North Carolina participated actively against North Carolina Amendment 1, an amendment to ban same-sex marriage and related rights, but voters passed it.

2013: Selection of Cornell William Brooks

In 2013, after Lorraine C. Miller served as interim president following Benjamin Jealous' departure, Cornell William Brooks was selected as president of the NAACP, despite Maya Wiley being rumored for the position.

June 7, 2017: NAACP Issues Travel Warning for Missouri

On June 7, 2017, the NAACP issued a warning for African-American travelers to Missouri.

April 2019: NAACP Publishes Report on Fossil Fuel Industry Tactics

In April 2019, the NAACP published a report outlining the tactics used by the fossil fuel industry, claiming that these companies target the NAACP for manipulation. The NAACP has been working with its chapters to encourage them to support environmentally sound policies.

2019: NAACP Calls for Ban of Dr. Seuss Books

In 2019, the NAACP called for a ban of all Dr. Seuss books from public schools and libraries, citing discriminatory depictions.

June 29, 2020: NAACP to relocate headquarters to Washington, D.C.

On June 29, 2020, it was reported that the NAACP intended to relocate its national headquarters from Baltimore to the Franklin D. Reeves Center of Municipal Affairs in Washington, D.C. NAACP's president and CEO, Derrick Johnson, stated that this move would allow the organization to better engage in and influence change.

May 2023: NAACP Issues Travel Advisory for Florida

In May 2023, in response to new laws targeting people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals, the NAACP, along with other organizations, issued travel advisories for visitors to Florida.