*This date marks the anniversary of the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909. They are one of the oldest organizations designed to fight for American Civil Rights.
An offspring of the 1905 Niagara Movement, the NAACP's purpose was to improve the conditions under which Black Americans lived at that time. Although these conditions have improved enormously, many differences still exist in the rights of U.S. citizens solely because of race or ethnic origin. The NAACP continues to seek a single class of citizenship for every American. Perhaps the most important single victory won by the organization was the U.S. Supreme Court decision of 1954, declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.
The NAACP operates under a president and chief executive officer who report to a 17-member executive committee of its board of directors. In 1996 the NAACP had about 2001 branches, college and youth councils, and a general membership of nearly 500,000 individuals nationwide. The NAACP has seven regional divisions. Within each jurisdiction, state conferences are composed of local branches.
