NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du Bois, Mary White Ovington, Moorfield Storey, and Ida B. Wells. Over the years, leaders of the organization have included Thurgood Marshall and Roy Wilkins.
| Abbreviation | NAACP |
|---|---|
| Formation | February 12, 1909 |
| Founders | W. E. B. Du Bois Mary White Ovington Moorfield Storey Ida B. Wells |
| 38-4108034 | |
| Legal status | 501(c)(4) Civic Leagues and Social Welfare Organizations |
| Purpose | "To ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination." |
| Headquarters | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
Membership | 300,000 |
Chairman | Leon W. Russell |
President and CEO | Derrick Johnson |
Main organ | Board of directors |
Budget | $24,800,000 (2019) |
| Website | naacp |
| Part of a series on |
| African Americans |
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Its mission in the 21st century is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination". National NAACP initiatives include political lobbying, publicity efforts, and litigation strategies developed by its legal team. The group enlarged its mission in the late 20th century by considering issues such as police misconduct, the status of black foreign refugees and questions of economic development. Its name, retained in accordance with tradition, uses the once common term colored people, referring to those with some African ancestry.
The NAACP bestows annual awards on African Americans in three categories: Image Awards are for achievements in the arts and media, Theatre Awards are for achievements in theatre and stage, and Spingarn Medals are for outstanding achievements of any kind. Its headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland.