The establishment of the NAACP was primarily a response to the widespread discrimination and violence faced by African Americans in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. The organization was founded in 1909 by a group of concerned individuals, including W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells, and Mary White Ovington, in response to the prevalence of lynchings, segregation, and other forms of racial injustice.
Specific events that led to the establishment of the NAACP include the Springfield Race Riot of 1908, in which a mob of white residents in Springfield, Illinois, attacked and lynched African American citizens, causing outrage and prompting calls for action. Additionally, the continued disenfranchisement of African Americans, the Supreme Court's 1896 ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson that upheld the "separate but equal" doctrine, and the overall lack of political and social rights for African Americans all contributed to the need for a national organization dedicated to addressing racial inequality.
Overall, the establishment of the NAACP was a response to the pervasive racism and discrimination faced by African Americans in the early 20th century, and the organization sought to fight for civil rights and equal treatment for all individuals, regardless of race.
What led to the
establishment of the
National Association for
the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP)?
1 answer