What Role Did The Naacp Play In The Civil Rights Movement
The struggle for Civil Rights was transformed by the formation of the NAACP, it represented the amalgamation of multiple methods used to some small success in years previous, yet, while the organisation signalled a step in the right direction it was far from successful despite being the largest of the civil rights organisations. Of course, it had leaders in Dubois and Wells in the earlier years as well as Thurgood Marshal, heading up the successful legal division of the organisation, in the late 30s, 40s and 50s, winning the Brown vs Board of Education case along with many others, but it also maintained an emphasis on the community aspect of the movement, with chapters in most states. The NAACP played a key role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott
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Robert Cook posits that, "By no means all of the NAACP's political activities in the 1930s were undertaken at a national level. Charles H. Houston... was a key exponent of the view that the association should make greater efforts to mobilise southern blacks."5 Although, the NAACP did attempt to campaign in many different arenas as Cook states, it refused to diversify its actions in line with the emergence of the direct action and aside from Supreme Court victories, which often failed to permeate into society, (even the Brown decision had to be reinforced with direct action prompting the government to defend their decision) the organisation was ineffective in many areas. It ignored mass action as a means of promoting the cause and, aside from Dubois’ writing in "The Crisis" in the early 21st Century (It was his writing that drew 6,000 members to the NAACP in 1914, and he played a vital role in pressuring the Government to allow blacks to become officers in the Military during the First World War) , it also ignored the need for charismatic leadership; that being said the use of litigation and legislation was an aspect of the struggle which can be almost entirely attributed to the NAACP.
Robert Cook posits that, "By no means all of the NAACP's political activities in the 1930s were undertaken at a national level. Charles H. Houston... was a key exponent of the view that the association should make greater efforts to mobilise southern blacks."5 Although, the NAACP did attempt to campaign in many different arenas as Cook states, it refused to diversify its actions in line with the emergence of the direct action and aside from Supreme Court victories, which often failed to permeate into society, (even the Brown decision had to be reinforced with direct action prompting the government to defend their decision) the organisation was ineffective in many areas. It ignored mass action as a means of promoting the cause and, aside from Dubois’ writing in "The Crisis" in the early 21st Century (It was his writing that drew 6,000 members to the NAACP in 1914, and he played a vital role in pressuring the Government to allow blacks to become officers in the Military during the First World War) , it also ignored the need for charismatic leadership; that being said the use of litigation and legislation was an aspect of the struggle which can be almost entirely attributed to the NAACP.