LANTAUNIVERSITYprofessor, began a lengthy ap-
pointment as publicity director and editor of THE
CRISIS, the official NAACP publication. JAMES
WELDONJOHNSON, a diplomat and novelist, be-
came field secretary in 1916; four years later, he
was promoted to the position of national secretary.
The NAACP experienced phenomenal growth
in its membership rolls during the Harlem Renais-
sance years. Ten years after its founding, the orga-
nization had more than 300 national branches and
some 90,000 members.
The NAACP had two distinct missions. The
political wing of the organization focused on mat-
ters relating to African-American rights, disen-
franchisement, and advancement. The NAACP
was a vocal critic of political leaders such as
Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Hoover. It was an
active leader in antilynching campaigns and
worked hard to document acts of murder and mob
violence. NAACP agents such as WALTERWHITE
infiltrated white supremacist organizations, and
others filed numerous reports that confirmed KU
KLUXKLANactivity and acts of violence and in-
timidation against African Americans. In the
years after the Harlem Renaissance, the NAACP
continued to represent African-American legal in-
terests. It played a crucial role in the landmark
1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of
Education. Thurgood Marshall, NAACP legal con-
sul on the Brown case, later became the first
African American appointed to the U.S. Supreme
Court.
The multifaceted monthly periodical The Cri-
sisrepresented the cultural wing of the NAACP
best. Under the watchful eye of DuBois and his lit-
erary editor, JESSIEFAUSET,The Crisisencouraged
artistic and literary excellence, and it provided evi-
dence of African-American cultural, professional,
and educational advancement. The Crisisworked
closely with patrons such as Joel Spingarn and his
wife, AMYSPINGARN, who endowed literary con-
tests and provided vital support to aspiring artists
and writers.
During the 1930s the organization faced the
economic pressures of the GREATDEPRESSIONand
grappled with major turnover in its leadership.
James Weldon Johnson and W. E. B. DuBois left
the organization in 1928 and 1934, respectively.
Yet, the organization rallied under the leadership
of Walter White, who served from 1931 through- Later presidents included Roy Wilkins
(1955–77) and Benjamin Hooks (1977–93). Addi-
tional leaders have included Myrlie Evers-
Williams, widow of the civil rights leader Medgar
Evers, and former Congressman Kwesi Mfume of
Maryland.
NAACP headquarters are located in Balti-
more, Maryland. The organization has active chap-
ters and affiliates throughout the United States
and in Japan and Germany.
Bibliography
Janken, Kenneth Robert. White: The Biography of Walter
White, Mr. NAACP.New York: New Press, 2003.
Wedin, Carolyn. Inheritors of the Spirit: Mary White Ov-
ington and the Founding of the NAACP.New York:
Wiley, 1998.National Association of Colored Women
(NACW)
Founded in 1896, the National Association of Col-
ored Women (NACW) was an impressive organi-
zation dedicated to racial uplift and to the
advancement of the race. Its motto, “Lifting As
We Climb,” signaled the dedication to collective
advancement and strong community networks.
NACW leaders included prominent activists,
scholars, patrons, feminists, and writers from all
walks of life and American communities. The
founders included Ida B. WELLS-BARNETT, Frances
Harper, MARYCHURCHTERRELL, Josephine St.
Pierre Ruffin, and Harriet Tubman.
The NACW was a visionary national organi-
zation that often emerged as the first group to sup-
port vital political and social efforts such as
women’s suffrage. By 1915 the organization had
more than 100,000 members and had numerous
regional, state, and community chapters. NACW
members established college scholarships for
African-American women, provided job-training,
organized child-care centers, founded settlement
houses, advocated temperance, offered educational
enrichment through classes and reading societies,
and lobbied against such pervasive social ills as
segregation and LYNCHING.
A number of Harlem Renaissance women writ-
ers had strong ties to the NACW. These includedNational Association of Colored Women 363