Introduction
“The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, is the oldest, largest and strongest civil rights organization in the United States”. The NAACP was founded in 1909 in New York. The main cause of founding NACCP was abusing and “lynching” black people. And that was happening in “Springfield, Illinois” (“People”). Lynching means “hanging or other types of executions, in punishment of a presumed criminal offense, carried out by self-appointed commissions or mobs, without due process of law” (“Lynching”). Since the day of its founding, the NAACP has been working to end racial injustice all over the world. NAACP uses its rights to fight many social problems. Anyone from any race can join the NAACP (“People”).
The Main Goals of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The main goal of the NAACP “is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination”. In order to reach this goal, the NAACP puts a number of objectives to achieve. Those objectives are listed on the “first page of the NAACP Constitution”. Those objectives include using the media to tell people about the problems that can come from “racial discrimination”. The NAACP wants all U.S. citizens to be treated equally and to have the same rights. It also wants to make sure that the laws across the United Stated ensure “civil rights”. The NAACP wants to “educate persons as to their constitutional rights and to take all lawful action to secure the exercise thereof”. NAACP also works on using its legal and civil rights to reach its goals. (The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People).
Does the NAACP Promote A Public Good or A Narrow Special Interest?
The NAACP is not only concerned about the rights of black people, but also the rights of minority groups in general. And that means that the NAACP promotes the public good. The NAACP “went on to lead the efforts that resulted in the enactment of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968”. The NACCP also seeks racial equality outside the United States. In South Africa, there was huge racial discrimination between whites and blacks. The NAACP was angry about that and convinced the U.S. government to apply “economic sanctions on South Africa” (“People”).
The NAACP always worked for other goals. In its early years, the NAACP worked for women’s rights (“Colored”). The organization also dealt with many issues like “teenage pregnancy, poor academic performance, drug and substance abuse, and violence in the black community” (“People”).
Does the NAACP Deserve to Be Joined or Supported?
The NAACP deserves to be supported. Until this moment, the organization is still committed to its principles and seeks “social justice”. If someone wants to be a member of the NAACP, he will have to pay a fee. The money is used for operating “national programs dealing with education, labor, economic development, housing, legal affairs, prisoner and ex-offender rehabilitation, bipartisan voter education, and youth leadership development” (“People”).
Conclusion
The main goal of the NAACP is to end racial discrimination in the United States. But it also works on solving other issues. The NAACP doesn’t seek justice for a specific group of people. It deserves to be supported because it supports all people.
References
“Lynching.” Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2008. Microsoft Corporation. Web.
“National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.” Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2008. Web.
“National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.” Spartacus Educational. 2009. Web.
“Our Mission.” National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. 2009. NAACP. Web.