Wilkes-Barre NAACP Branch #2306

HISTORY OF THE NAACP
A group of black and white citizens committed to social justice founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on February 12, 1909 in New York City. From school desegregation, fair housing, employment and voter registration, to health and equal economic opportunity, the NAACP, working successfully with allies of all races, plays a significant role in establishing legal precedents in order to improve the quality of life of America's downtrodden.
NAACP founders include Ida Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. DuBois, Henry Moscowitz, Mary White Ovington, Oswald Garrison Villiard and William English Walling. They answered a clarion "Call" to renew the struggle for civil and political liberty in response to the unrelenting lynching of blacks that were occurring with impunity in 1909. The legacy of pioneers such as Walter White, Thurgood Marshall, Roy Wilkins and the thousands of nameless faces who worked tirelessly for civil rights cannot 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!