History of the NAACP

General NAACP History
Rice NAACP History
Overview of The Crisis Magazine

General NAACP History

The NAACP was formed in 1909 in New York City by a group of black and white citizens fighting for social justice. On February 12, 1909, a "Call" was issued by a collection of 60 signatures for a meeting on the concept of creating an organization that would be an aggressive watchdog of Negro liberties. Ida Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. DuBois, Henry Moscowitz, Mary White Ovington, Oswald Garrison Villiard, William English Walling and led the "Call" to renew the struggle for civil and political liberty. 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. Currently the total membership exceeds 500,000.

Overview of The Crisis Magazine

In 1910, William Edward Burghardt Du Bois founded THE CRISIS magazine as the premier crusading voice for civil rights. Today, THE CRISIS, one of the oldest black periodicals in America, continues this mission. A respected journal of thought, opinion and analysis, the magazine was and still remains the official publication of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and is the NAACP's articulate partner in the struggle for human rights for people of color.

Published bi-monthly, THE CRISIS magazine is dedicated to being an open and honest forum for discussing critical issues confronting people of color, American society and the world in addition to highlighting the historical and cultural achievements of these diverse peoples. In essays, interviews, in-depth reporting, etc., writers explore past and present issues concerning race and its impact on educational, economic, political, social, moral, and ethical issues. And, each issue is highlighted with a special section, "The NAACP Today" reporting the news and events of the NAACP on a local and national level.

THE CRISIS is published by The Crisis Publishing Company, Inc. — a for-profit enterprise that is legally separate from the NAACP. Except for the stories featured in "The NAACP Today," the opinions expressed in the pages of THE CRISIS may not represent the official position of the NAACP. We believe that actively cultivating a diversity of opinion is a healthy necessary step to solving the problem of race. We understand that there is no one right way to translate good intentions into workable public policy.

Building on the foundation established by Du Bois, we pledge our commitment to an integrated, non-violent society that rejects all forms of racism, anti-Semitism, sexism and homophobia.