NAACP history
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in New York City in February 1909 by a group of mostly white liberals. It was formed partly in response to the continuing practice of lynching and the 1908 race riot in Springfield, the capital of Illinois and resting place of President Abraham Lincoln.
The Akron chapter of the NAACP was founded by a group of about 50 blacks in 1917 at Wesley Temple AME Zion Church, the oldest black church in Akron. The church is also where Akron NAACP president Ophelia Averitt attends.
The NAACP’s principal objective is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority group citizens of United States and eliminate race prejudice. The NAACP seeks to remove the barriers of racial discrimination.