Civil Rights Organizing Archive Documenting the NAACP at the Height of the Civil Rights Era, 1944–1978

NAACP

Archive

[Civil Rights] National Association for the Advancement of Colored People printed and photographic archive documenting organizational activism, legal strategy, and leadership within the American Civil Rights Movement from the 1940s through the late 1970s. The materials trace the NAACP’s work in litigation, membership organizing, public advocacy, and legislative lobbying during the decades in which the organization helped dismantle legalized segregation and expand civil rights protections across the United States.

Archive of eleven publications and photographs documenting the activities and public advocacy of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People between 1944 and 1968, a period of sustained legal and political campaigns against racial segregation and discrimination in the United States. The materials originate from the height of the Civil Rights movement, in which the NAACP pursued courtroom challenges to segregation, organized national membership campaigns, and publicized civil rights activism through pamphlets, educational booklets, and photography. Archive of ten items produced between 1944 and 1968 consisting of five booklets, three press photographs, and two pamphlets issued by or documenting the NAACP. This archive chronicles the escalation of organized civil rights activism leading to major legislative changes such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, reforms for which the NAACP played a central advocacy role through legal challenges, public education initiatives, and national organizing. Archive includes:

[1] "N.A.A.C.P. 'Spearhead of Democracy' In the Business of Fighting for Freedom." New York: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, c.a. 1944. Eight page pamphlet including information on the NAACP's mission with statements on "The Right to Live and the Right to Die", "The Right to Work and the Right to Play", "The Right to Teach and the Right to Learn", and "The Right to Serve and the Right to Govern".

[2] Ottley, Roi. "New World A-Coming". New York: Committee of 100, c.a. 1944. Five page excerpt from Roi Ottley's non fiction account of the Black experience in the early 20th Century. Printed and distributed by the Committee of 100, an organization which supported and promoted the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Includes a Committee of 100 member list and fundraising information for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

[3] Roy Wilkins silver gelatin press photograph, 1957. Press photo of civil rights leader Roy Wilkins, then Executive Secretary of the NAACP, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Press caption with photo reads "Roy Wilkins...tells members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Constitutional Rights that if Congress fails to pass civil rights legislation, negroes may be tempted to answer violence with defensive action".

[4] Johns Committee silver gelatin press photograph, 1957. Courtroom photo of the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee (the Johns Committee) conducting their investigation of the NAACP. The Florida Legislative Investigation Committee was an anti-Communist, anti-LGBT investigative committee led by Charley Johns which persecuted civil rights activists and organizations, including the NAACP. Press caption reads "Legislative Committee opened a three day investigation of the Florida NAACP 2/25, in Dade County court. Witnesses (Negroes) G.W. Hawkins, left, and G.E. Graves Jr., right. In jury box Legislative Comm. L-to-R. Rep. Henry Land, Orlando, Sen. Charles Johns, Stark, Rep. J.B. Hopkins, hidden, and Rep. Cliff Herell. Left foreground Mark Hawes, Comm. investigator." The investigation came to a close when the Supreme Court denied the committee access to the NAACP's membership lists.

[5] Set of two calling cards advertising dance events held by the "Echo Ladies" in San Francisco to benefit the NAACP in 1956 and 1957.

[6] Marvin Davies silver gelatin press photograph, 1966. Press photo of Civil Rights activist and newly appointed Florida NAACP field director Marvin Davies holding a copy of The Crisis, the offician magazine of the NAACP, and gesturing toward Pasco County on a large map of Florida behind him. Davies would later be appointed Executive Director of the Florida State Conference of the NAACP and serve as spokesman for Florida’s 138 NAACP branches.

[7] "How to Organize and Conduct a Successful N.A.A.C.P. Membership Campaign", c.a. 1960s. Staplebound booklet. A practical manual to expanding membership with sample pledge cards, organizational plans, campaign records, and campaign song lyrics.

[8] Amicus brief on Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co. New York: Bar Press, Inc., 1968. Staplebound booklet. 103 pages. Summary and legal opinion on the Supreme Court case Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co., a landmark ruling which prohibited racial discrimination in the sale of property. Brief produced in part by NAACP civil rights attorney Robert L. Carter.

[9] Tri-fold pamphlet for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, c.a. 1969, containing ten black and white photos and an article about the Hunters, a Black family in Unadilla, Georgia, who enrolled in a white school. The article explains that single mother Elizabeth Hunter was barred from finding work in the town and forced to apply for welfare, which she then faced unreasonable delays and obstructions in obtaining. She was finally granted welfare assistance after two years with the help of the Legal Defense Fund. This anecdote reveals the harassment and discrimination faced by Black families attending white schools long after legal desegregation, and the vital role played by the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund in providing assistance to these families.

[10] Constitution of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. New York, 1977. A small booklet containing the mission and bylaws of the NAACP as of May 1976, including requirements for membership, duties of officers, election guidelines, and process for amendments. Made for distribution among members.

[11] Constitution and By-Laws for Branches of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. New York, 1978. A small booklet containing the constitution of the NAACP, as well as specific guidelines for branches across the country in regards to the expulsion or removal of members, authorization of committees, and fiscal duties. As amended at the 51st Annual NAACP Convention, June 1960. Made for distribution among members.

Between the 1940s and late 1960s the NAACP was one of the central institutions shaping the modern Civil Rights Movement, coordinating legal strategies, public campaigns, and grassroots organizing across the United States. Printed pamphlets and booklets served as essential tools for communicating the organization’s legal arguments and encouraging public participation in civil rights campaigns. 11 items in total comprising five booklets, three press photographs, a set of calling cards, and two pamphlets. Minor edge wear and light handling marks consistent with age and circulation. Overall very good condition. An archive of documents illustrating the evolving organizing and public communication strategies of the NAACP during the transformative decades of the American Civil Rights Movement.

Item #20948

Price: $2,850.00