The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
The NAACP was founded in 1909 to promote racial equality. Its first efforts focused on ending lynching and protesting D. W. Griffith’s film, Birth of a Nation. In 1910, the NAACP journal The Crisis was started with W. E. B. DuBois as editor. The NAACP successfully challenged the separate-but-equal doctrine, winning the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954. The NAACP’s lobbying efforts were instrumental in achieving integration of the military (1948) and passage of the Civil Rights Acts (1957, 1964, and 1968) and Voting Rights Act (1965). The NAACP supported the Montgomery Bus Boycott, collaborated with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) on civil rights campaigns, and helped organize the 1963 March on Washington. Opposed to Dr. King’s public stand on the Vietnam War, the NAACP continued to work with him on the plight of urban blacks.
Associated Archive Content : 387 results
Letter from MLK to Reverend Casper I. GlennDr. King writes to Rev. Glenn, President of the NAACP chapter in Tucson, Arizona, regarding Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Dr. King informs him that the Motown Record Corporation has been granted rights of this speech. |
Letter from MLK to Reverend Charles R. Bell Jr. about Beating of a PrisonerIn this correspondence, Dr. King offers thanks to Rev. Bell for his letter about the "horrible beating" of a Negro prisoner in Wetumpka, Alabama. |
Letter from MLK to the Erie, Pennsylvania NAACPDr. King declines an invitation to speak from Erie Branch of the NAACP. |
Letter from MLK to the McKeesport, Pennsylvania NAACPDr. King declines an invitation to speak from the McKeesport, Pennsylvania Branch of the NAACP. |
Letter from MLK to W. D. MasonDr. King declines an invitation to speak in support of the Mercer County Branch of the NAACP in Farrell, Pennsylvania. He expresses his appreciation for the invitation but explains that he has accepted his maximum number of speaking engagements for the spring. |
Letter from MLK to W. Russell Chapman of the NAACPDr. King declines an invitation to speak from the York County NAACP. |
Letter from Mr. and Mrs. Gates to MLKBob and Betty Gates write Dr. King enclosing a contribution toward his work for freedom and better opportunities for African Americans. The Gates also ask Dr. King's opinion regarding the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. |
Letter from Mrs. Clara Bayles to MLKMrs. Bayles of Des Moines, Iowa writes Dr. King during his sentence in the Birmingham jail. She congratulates him for all of his achievements and reminisces on the events she has been privileged to attend and hear him speak publicly. |
Letter from Mrs. Eugene B. Stinson to Mr. Roy WilkinsMrs. Stinson of Pennsylvania writes Mr. Wilkins suggesting that all of the major civil rights organizations merge together to form one organization. She believes this will create a unified front in the fight for racial equality. In addition, Mrs. Stinson provides a list of suggestions this new organization could implement to facilitate change. |
Letter from Mrs. G. E. Coleman to MLKDr. King writes Mrs. G. Coleman to acknowledge the receipt of her letter inviting him to speak at a Freedom Rally in Beckley, West Virginia. Dr. King expresses his deep regret in his inability to attend. |
Letter from Mrs. Glenn Durbin to MLKMrs. Glenn Durbin writes to Dr. King expressing her opposing views on Communism. |
Letter from Mrs. Zabelle Tourian to MLKZabelle Tourian expresses her support for Dr. King, relaying several short statements regarding famous African American persons of recent history. |
Letter from Myron Nelson, Minnie Cooper and Kathleen Roach to MLKIn this letter, Myron Nelson as well as Kathleen Roach invites Dr. King to come speak to the people of Eastern Long Island to up lift the African-American race. |
Letter from Nathaniel L. Hawthorne to MLKNathaniel Lee Hawthorne, who describes himself as “a nonviolent militant Negro” from rural Virginia, asks Dr. King for advice on publishing a book. Hawthorne wants to tell the nation what it feels like to be poor |
Letter from Neale J. Pearson to MLKA Ph.D. candidate from the University of Florida writes Dr. King to tell him about the political and social progress made by the university's Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) chapter. The writer tells Dr. King that the Chapter has invited various political figures to speak at an upcoming lecture series. He extends the invitation to Dr. King and Dr. Charles Anderson, while simultaneously seeking Dr. King's help in contacting Dr. Anderson. The student informs Dr. |
Letter from Negro Non-Commissioned Officers to Civil Rights LeadersThe non-commissioned officers of Fort Polk write major civil rights organizations and publications to share their story of segregation and discrimination in the town of Leesville. The authors hope that their letter will be published - exposing the injustices. |
Letter from Norman Thomas to the New York Times EditorNorman Thomas cites an excerpt from a story by Peter Khiss entitled "Rowan Terms Dr. King's Stand on War a Peril to Rights Gains." Mr. Thomas asserts that the statement is incorrect and that he whole "heartily" applauds Dr. King's stance on the Vietnam War. |
Letter from Oscar Seitz to MLKMr. Seitz expresses his appreciation for the efforts of Dr. King and the SCLC by enclosing a check to the organization. |
Letter from P. D. Thompson to MLKP. D. Thompson, a member of the South African Institute of Race Relations, writes to Dr. King seeking help with South Africa's race relations. |
Letter from Paul P. Martin to MLKThe Erie Branch of the NAACP invites Dr. King to be the principal speaker at its Freedom Rally. |
Letter from Percy A. Blackburn to Ed ClaytonPercy A. Blackburn refers to a previous letter Alice Bucher, president of S. J. Bucher Ltd. Lucerne sent Ed Clayton, SCLC Director of Public Relations, concerning their book about the History of the American Negro. Blackburn encloses a "resume of the proposed contents of the book." He also informs Mr. Clayton of Mrs. Bucher and her associate's current visit to the US and that they would like to arrange an appointment with Dr. King at his convenience. |
Letter from Peter S. Shults to NAACPPeter Shults writes the NAACP requesting a comment on a postcard he received that depicts Dr. King as a communist. He asks multiple questions regarding the validity of the picture on the postcard. |
Letter from Phyllis Light to the NAACPMrs. Light argues that the goals of the NAACP are too low. She compares the efforts of the movement to those of Hitler, Mussolini, Napoleon, and Caesar. Because of these comparisons, Mrs. Light promotes segregation amongst the races and accuses educated African Americans of abandoning their culture. |
Letter from Prarthana Samaj Bombay (India) to MLKThe former ambassador of India to the United States previously wrote Dr. King, inviting him to the Centenary Celebrations. The author recalls this invitation and references the history of Bombay's Prarthana Samaj. The organization is founded on the betterment of society, religion and education. The Prarthana Samaj would be proud to welcome Dr. King, as he is an "apostle" of Mahatma Gandhi. |
Letter from R. Lennox to MLKR. Lennox, a principal at Presbyterian College in Montreal, Canada, invites Dr. King to speak on ministry at the college's 100th anniversary convocation address. |
Letter from R. Lennox to MLKDr. King is invited to deliver the main address for The Presbyterian College of Montreal's Annual Convocation in April of 1965. The institution will be preparing to celebrate its 100th Anniversary. |
Letter from R. Lennox to MLKR. Lennox writes a follow-up letter to Dr. King regarding an invitation to speak at the annual convocation celebrating the one hundredth anniversary of The Presbyterian College. |
Letter from R. Terry Taft to MLKR. Terry Taft expresses his disappointment in reading Dr. King's feelings in Newsweek regarding the failure of the Office of Urban affairs to become a federal cabinet position. |
Letter from Reverend Casper Glenn to MLKRev. Casper Glenn, president of the NAACP chapter in Tucson, Arizona, writes to Dr. King regarding rights to a recording of the "I Have a Dream" speech. |
Letter from Reverend Samuel B. McKinney to MLKSamuel Johnson, President of the SCLC Daytona Beach chapter, writes Dr.King to express his concerns for the current state of the organization. He urges King to make an appearance soon. |