The NAACP, National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People, is the oldest, largest and strongest Civil Rights Organization
in the United States. The principal objective of the NAACP is to
ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of
minority group citizens of the United States. The NAACP is committed to achievement through non-violence and relies
upon the press, the petition, the ballot and the courts, and is
persistent in the use of legal and moral persuasion even in the face
of overt and violent racial hostility.
FOUNDATION
The NAACP was formed in 1909 in New York City by a group of black
and white citizens committed to helping to right social injustices. On
February 12, over the signatures of 60 persons, the "Call" was issued
for a meeting on the concept of creating an organization that would be
an aggressive watchdog of Negro liberties. This event marked the
founding of the NAACP. The New York Evening Post backed the
organization.
STRUCTURE
The
NAACP is a network of more than 2,200 branches covering all 50 states,
the District of Columbia, Japan and Germany. They are divided into seven
regions and are managed and governed by a National Board of Directors.
The NAACP is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. Total membership
exceeds 500,000. The Chairman of the Board is Mr. Julian Bond.
