Click here to see footage of the event.
For one hundred years, the NAACP has been a steadfast advocate for minorities. From protesting lynchings in the South to rallies on McKeldin Mall to celebrating a black president, it has promoted a mission of civil justice for all.
Last night, students, faculty and community members gathered in the Nyumburu Cultural Center to celebrate Founder’s Day of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The event featured speakers from the community and a video presentation, as well as musical acts and poetry. The celebration was co-sponsored by the university and Prince George’s County chapters of the NAACP, and it ended with cake and a renditions of “Happy Birthday.”
“I’m here to show my support and to celebrate,” freshman English major Nyesha Trust said. “We can keep moving forward because the issues change, but there is always a need for an advocate.”
This centennial marks an achievement many students and community members are proud of.
Leroy Williams, 66, of Fort Washington, is a member of the Prince George’s county NAACP. To him, the NAACP is an organization that “struggles and fights for justice for all people.” He remembers marching in student rallies in the ’60s and experiencing the social injustices.
“I got to experience what it meant to struggle and fight,” Williams said. “I learned patience.”
The NAACP is “the nation’s oldest, largest and most widely recognized grassroots-based civil rights organization,” according to the organization’s website. It was founded in response to lynching and race riots in Springfield, Ill., and now has more than 360,000 registered members.
The NAACP started at the university in 1974 by a group of women, during a time when black enrollment was on the rise due to affirmative action. During the late 1970s, the organization often partnered with the Black Student Union to promote civil rights on the campus.
Early on, the group had a strong focus on equal education opportunities for students. An article in the October 1975 issue of The Black Explosion reported that the campus chapter of the NAACP and the BSU claimed that affirmative action at the university had failed due to “an insensitive and ineffective administration coupled with systematic institutional racism.”
Wanika Fisher, president of the campus chapter of the NAACP described how during the ’80s and ’90s, the NAACP on the campus took a more cultural stance – promoting pride and loyalty to one’s heritage. Now, she said, the NAACP has returned to its “social justice roots.”
Because of graduating leaders and poor membership rates, the NAACP became inactive 10 years ago, said Fisher. It was reactivated in 2006 with a new sense of purpose.
“We’re not new, but we’re back in action,” said Fisher. “It’s about breaking down barriers and bringing unity with minorities on campus.”
In recent years, the NAACP at this university has played an active role in raising awareness about social issues. The organization works with other black leaders in the community to talk about race relations and what Fisher calls “modern-day lynching,” or the negative perceptions of violence and drugs often perpetuated by popular culture. Additionally, they work with prison outreach programs and conduct mentoring sessions in the area’s public schools.
The NAACP can also be used as a networking tool. The student chapter provides job opportunities for members, as well as advice on how to enter the work force.
However, one of the most important messages the organization promotes is that the NAACP is not just for black people.
“I want it made known that it’s not just for one race,” Fisher said. She added that becoming a member of the NAACP leads to friendships in other races and student groups. “Diversity puts us in a different category. I hope people use it to find out who they are.”
Hopes for the future were bright in the minds of students and members of the NAACP last night at the centennial celebration.
“Be happy that today is a day for us to celebrate what we have,” said Celeste Williams, a member of the Prince George’s County NAACP. “It’s OK to be happy that we have Barack Obama in the White House. … I’m excited and looking forward to the next 100 years, and I don’t know about you guys, but I’m planning on being here for a while.”
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