Title: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Racine Branch: Records
Inclusive Dates: 1954-1984

Creator:

• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Racine Branch (Wis.)

Call Number: Parkside Mss 66; PH Parkside Mss 66; Audio 1153A

Quantity: 8.4 cubic feet (21 archives boxes), 6 tape recordings, 7 photographs, and 2 negatives

Repository:

Housed at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections and Archives & Area Research Center, Library/Learning Center, University of Wisconsin-Parkside; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections.

Archival Locations:

UW-Parkside Library / Parkside Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Records of the Racine branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), dating mainly from the presidency of Julian Thomas (1964- ). Included are correspondence, activity files, and brief records on national and state NAACP events. There is also personal correspondence and notes of Thomas, mainly illustrating his work with other Racine civil rights and civic groups; as well as annual reports, membership records, minutes, newsletters and clippings, and reference files. The collection documents affirmative action and equal opportunity programs in Racine, school desegregation, open housing efforts, community action programs, and police community relations. There are also records of the Racine Environment Committee collected during Thomas's tenure on its board of directors, and a few papers from Thomas's minority relations work as an employee of the J.I. Case Company. National, regional, and state NAACP records primarily consist of records of conventions collected by Racine branch members who attended the meetings. Photographs include images of Thomas and other branch members.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-pks0066

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

The Racine branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People received its charter from the national office in 1947 or 1950. Its first president was George Bray. Over the years, the branch has worked for open housing, equal employment opportunities and improved minority employment, school desegregation, and improved police-community relations.

Local NAACP branches are membership organizations, and form the smallest links in the organizational network of the NAACP. They may include youth councils, college chapters, and women's auxiliaries. Youth council membership is available to those between the ages of 16 and 25, while junior youth councils accept members ranging in age from 12 to 16. The branches within a state comprise a state conference, which in turn is associated with a regional office. The New York national office coordinates the activities of its many components, and receives a share of all membership fees from the branches. A Washington Bureau analyzes, and then supports or opposes, pending federal legislation. An annual convention is held to formulate binding policies and programs.

Within this administrative structure, the local branches operate with a great deal of autonomy. Committees perform most of the important work of the organization. An executive committee and board of directors exercise general control over each branch, deciding matters of branch policy, and drafting the yearly budget. Special committees are sometimes formed for a brief period to meet the specific needs of a branch. The Racine branch holds two annual fund raising events, the Freedom Fund Dinner and the Freedom Baby Contest. In addition, there are yearly or periodic events such as ministers' breakfasts, conferences and special meetings, talent shows, and king and queen contests.

The Racine branch was inactive from 1950 to 1953. Under president Julian Thomas (1964- ), the organization helped lead the 1960s drive to secure local and statewide open housing legislation, and desegregation of Racine schools. In 1964 the NAACP prodded the City of Racine to study the issue and write the “Comprehensive Minority Citizens Report,” a plan of attack on segregation that began with the closing of Howell School. By 1975, the Racine School Board had completed phase three of its school desegregation plan. The NAACP was also deeply involved with local affirmative action during the 1970s, encouraging businesses and government to draft and implement affirmative action plans. Community action programs sponsored and funded by the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity were also administered through the Racine NAACP during the 1960s. The group also worked with the Racine Environment Committee Inc., the private sector, and corporate industry.

Past presidents of the Racine NAACP

• George Bray, 1947-1948
• William “Blue” Jenkins, 1949-1950
• Corinne Owens, 1953-1954
• Novell Weaver, 1955-1956
• Tommy Bishop, 1957
• William Jenkins, 1958
• George Bray, 1959
• Dale Upchurch, 1960-1962
• Sloan Williams, 1963
• Julian Thomas, 1964-

The records of the Racine Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People date primarily from the late 1960s and 1970s, during the presidency of Julian Thomas. The collection documents quite well branch activities during this period, when major changes were being made in open housing laws, segregated school systems, and affirmative action and equal opportunity programs. The records have been arranged in five series: Correspondence and Related Material, Organizational Records, Racine Branch Activities, Records of Other Activities, and National, Regional, and State NAACP Records.

CORRESPONDENCE AND RELATED MATERIAL includes major files of incoming and outgoing general correspondence, 1954-1984, mainly written by or to the branch president. Among the topics discussed are regular branch and NAACP business, membership matters, affirmative action, school desegregation, community activities, and other items. Included here are near-print form letters created by the national and state NAACP offices for distribution to branches. Separate files of personal correspondence and notes of Julian Thomas are also included in this series, due to the difficulty of separating letters written to him as Racine NAACP president from those written to him as a Racine black activist generally. There are folders of his personal correspondence; and a few letters written to him as president of the Wisconsin State Conference of Branches, 1970-1972 Chairman of Region III, NAACP, 1972-1973; Director of Equal Opportunity/Minority Relations at J.I. Case Company, 1971-1980; Director, (Racine) Mayor's Commission on Human Rights, 1971; and Vice-President, Racine Environment Committee Inc., 1970. Also included is a file concerning Dominican College's “Alternative Program,” and miscellaneous biographical data and awards. Thomas's notes, 1962-1983, appear to have been made during meetings and telephone conversations; some may pertain to complaints and requests for investigations of discrimination.

The ORGANIZATIONAL RECORDS include Racine branch annual reports, originally collected yearly in notebooks, together with reports of the activities of each committee and the Youth Council, minutes, newsletters, news clippings, and programs from annual branch events. The contents of these notebooks have been arranged by type of record. There is also a file of notes and material gathered as a history file.

The collection lacks many financial records of the Racine branch. There is some indication of cash received within the membership records, and an overall picture of finances in the treasurer's reports. Other membership records include membership lists, reports, and correspondence, much of which is routine in nature, and a small file from a membership campaign committee. There are lengthy runs of minutes of meetings, a few of which date from 1959, with the exception of minutes of committee meetings, which are fragmentary. Included are minutes of executive board, executive committee, and executive, mass, and membership meetings. (The precise function of each of these groups and how they differ, is difficult to determine.) The files of news clippings, 1965-1983, were weeded to remove clippings not pertaining to the NAACP or to Racine area civil rights activities. There is also a lengthy run of Racine branch newsletters, 1961-1983. Files from the earliest years are either incomplete or reflect a sporadic publications history. In 1977, the Racine branch began publishing The Freedom Ledger on a regular basis.

This series also includes organizational charts illustrating the hierarchy of officers and committees, and lists of officers. In the reference files are letters, notes, and other material pertaining indirectly to Racine and NAACP business. These appear to have been collected by Julian Thomas, and reflect his personal activities and interests. The Women's Auxiliary and the Youth Council are represented in the collection by small files of minutes, correspondence, and records of activities.

Records of RACINE BRANCH ACTIVITIES include programs; correspondence, generally about arrangements and plans; news clippings; and other materials concerning the planned annual or periodic fund raising and publicity events of the branch. Among these are the Annual Ministers' Breakfast, First Annual Life Membership Breakfast, Freedom Baby Contest, Freedom Fund Dinner, Spring Musical Festival, and Talent Show. There are a few radio and television scripts for NAACP programs, and a tape recording of a speech by Nancy L. Henry, Racine branch board member and secretary, at the Freedom Fund Dinner, Janesville, October 4, 1980. The files entitled “Investigations” contain notes, legal papers, correspondence, and other items collected by the Legal Redress Committee in response to complaints of discrimination suffered by Racine residents.

RECORDS OF RELATED ACTIVITIES illustrate the interrelationships of the Racine NAACP with other local civil rights groups and community agencies. These materials were collected by Julian Thomas; many show his membership in other community agencies.

Regarding the formulation and implementation of affirmative action and equal opportunity plans and programs in Racine, there are correspondence, minutes, reports, recommendations, and statements of the Racine Affirmative Action/Human Rights Commission; a copy of the Racine County Affirmative Action Program annual report, 1976-1977; and reports and other records of the Racine Police Department. Another important issue to the Racine branch was the desegregation of Racine schools. The branch's interest is reflected in files of correspondence with and general records about the Racine Unified School District; copies of the “Desegregation Plan for Unified School District No. 1 of Racine County,” December 1973, “The Elimination of Racial Imbalance, a Presentation and Discussion of Four Plans,” July 8, 1974, and “The Plan to Eliminate Racial Imbalance in the Elementary Schools,” January 13, 1975; a progress report on Racine high school minorities, 1982; a proposal to fund a Head Start project; and papers from a project to improve depiction of Negroes in textbooks. There are also records of the Wisconsin Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Professionals Inc., consisting of by-laws, and correspondence, membership lists, and minutes of annual conferences.

The Racine NAACP also worked with the Racine County Community Action Program Committee Inc. (CAP). The collection contains files on CAP's Affirmative Action Plan, a funding proposal, minutes of board of directors and executive committee meetings, by -laws, correspondence, newsletters, and program summaries and reports.

Records of the Racine Environment Committee Inc. (REC) were collected during Julian Thomas's tenure on its board of directors and executive committee. They include general correspondence, correspondence and papers of the National Urban Coalition (with which REC was affiliated), treasurer's reports, budgets, membership lists, minutes of annual and executive committee meetings, and newsletters. (Minutes of the REC board of directors and executive committee are also available in the records of the Racine Environment Committee Inc. Unannotated duplicates found in this collection were discarded.) Also included here are a few records of REC's Business Opportunities Corporation, Educational Assistance Program, and Educational Fund.

Other files contain material on a study of the jury selection process in Racine; the Racine branch's proposed human rights ordinance; the Racine Commission on Human Rights; the Racine Police Department and police-community relations; the Racine Rental Living Unit Advisory Committee; Racine United Community Services (Racine United Fund); and a copy of the “Racine Community Study,” conducted by the Iowa Urban Community Research Center, University of Iowa, circa 1971.

The NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND STATE NAACP RECORDS are incomplete, and most are near-print materials. National records primarily consist of records of national conventions, collected by Racine branch members who attended those meetings. Regional records include small files pertaining to annual elections, reports of the field trainer (including reports about the Racine branch), membership reports, and a newsletter. There are also records of regional Leadership Training Conferences attended by Racine branch members. State records include a correspondence file, minutes of meetings of the Conference of Wisconsin NAACP Branches, State Executive Board Meetings, and Wisconsin Conference of Branches Board, and newsletters.

Acquisition Information

Presented by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Racine Branch, via Julian Thomas, Racine, Wisconsin, 1984-1985. Accession Number: M84-325, M85-014, M86-059

Processing Information

Processed by Bill Beaudreau, Cary Moy, and Menzi Behrnd-Klodt, September 1986.

Parkside Mss 66	Series: Correspondence and Related Material
	General Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   1-7	1954-1974
Box   2 Folder   1-6	1975-1977 June
Box   3 Folder   1-6	1977 July-1979 March
Box   4 Folder   1-6	1979 April-1981 December
Box   5 Folder   1-4	1982-1984, undated
	Correspondence and Notes of Julian Thomas
Box   5 Folder   5-6	Personal Correspondence, 1960-1981
Box   5 Folder   7	As President of the Wisconsin State Conference of Branches, NAACP, 1970-1972
Box   5 Folder   8	As Chairman of Region III, NAACP, 1972-1973
Box   5 Folder   9	As Director, J.I. Case Company Equal Opportunity/Minority Relations, 1971-1980
Box   5 Folder   10	As Director, Mayor's Commission on Human Rights, 1971
Box   5 Folder   11	As Vice-President, Racine Environment Committee, 1970
Box   5 Folder   12	Regarding Dominican College's “Alternative Program,” 1971
Box   5 Folder   13	Miscellaneous regarding Julian Thomas
Box   20 Folder   1-9	Notes, 1962-1983
Box	Series: Organizational Records	⇧
Box   20	Annual Reports
Box   5 Folder   14	1970, 1973-1976
Box   6 Folder   1	1977-1983
Box   20 Folder   10	Certificates and Awards; Tributes to Deceased Members
Box   6 Folder   2	Racine Branch History
	Membership Records
Box   6 Folder   3	Life Membership Lists and Correspondence, 1975-1981
Box   6 Folder   4	Membership Campaign Committee, 1976-1979
Box   6 Folder   5-6	Membership Lists and Reports, Corrections, 1957, 1968-1969, 1971-1980
Box   20 Folder   11	Membership List (Eligible Voters), 1978
Box   20	Minutes of Meetings
Box   6 Folder   7	Committee Meetings, 1959, 1965-1982, undated
	Executive Board Meetings
Box   6 Folder   8-10	1959, 1962 December-1963 August; 1965-1977
Box   7 Folder   1	1978-1983
Box   7 Folder   2	Executive Committee Meetings, 1977-1983
Box   7 Folder   3	Executive Meetings, 1976-1983
Box   7 Folder   4	Mass Meetings, 1982
Box   7 Folder   5	Executive Board Meetings, 1962 December-1963 December
Box   7 Folder   5	Membership Meetings, 1963 February-1964 April
Box   7 Folder   6	General, Membership, Board Meetings, and Treasurer's Report, 1973-1976
	Membership Meetings
Box   7 Folder   7-10	1964-1979
Box   8 Folder   1	1980-1983
Box   8 Folder   2	Miscellaneous
Box   20 Folder   12	Miscellaneous
	News clippings
Box   8 Folder   3-16	1965-1978
Box   9 Folder   1-5	1979-1983
	Newsletters
Box   20 Folder   13	1961-1977
Box   9 Folder   6-7	The Freedom Ledger, 1977 September-1983
Box   9 Folder   8	Organizational Chart; Lists of Officers
	Reference Files
Box   20 Folder   14-19	1962-1978
Box   21 Folder   1-3	1979, 1981, 1983
Box   9 Folder   9	Speeches, 1980, undated
Box   9 Folder   10	Treasurer's Reports, 1958, 1968-1982
	Women's Auxiliary
Box   9 Folder   11	Correspondence , 1973-1977
Box   9 Folder   12	Minutes, 1973-1977
	Youth Council
Box   9 Folder   13	Members, 1977
Box   9 Folder   14	Minutes and Other Papers, 1965-1979
	Series: Racine Branch Activities	⇧
Box   9 Folder   15	Annual Ministers' Breakfast, 1974-1982
Box   9 Folder   16	First Annual Life Membership Breakfast, 1981
	Freedom Baby Contest
Box   9 Folder   17	Correspondence and Miscellaneous Records, 1974-1978
Box   9 Folder   18	Programs
	Freedom Fund Dinner
Box   10 Folder   1-9	Correspondence and Other Records, 1971-1984
Box   10 Folder   10	Programs, 1978, 1973, 1975-1984
Box   21 Folder   4-6	Investigations, 1964-1983
Box   11 Folder   1	Radio and Television Scripts, 1978, 1981-1983?
Box   11 Folder   2	Spring Musical Festival, 1978-1979
Box   11 Folder   3	Talent Show, 1978
	Series: Records of Related Activities	⇧
	Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity
Box   11 Folder   4	NAACP Affirmative Action Organizing Manual, 1978
Box   11 Folder   5-7	Correspondence, Complaints, Plans, Programs, and Papers regarding Federal and State Equal Opportunity Programs, 1963-1981
	Racine Affirmative Action/Human Rights Commission
Box   11 Folder   8	Correspondence, 1975-1976, 1979-1982
Box   11 Folder   9	Minutes, 1975, 1979-1982
Box   11 Folder   10	Racine Personnel Department Records, 1974-1976
Box   11 Folder   11	Reports, Recommendations, and Statements, 1975, 1980-1982
Box   11 Folder   12	Racine County Affirmative Action ion Program Annual Report, 1976-1977
	Racine Police Department
Box   11 Folder   13	Report on Dual Standards, 1981
Box   12 Folder   1	Response to Dual Standards Report, 1981
Box   12 Folder   2	Department Financial Records, 1982-1983
Box   12 Folder   3	Badger Chapter No. 5, Order of the Eastern Star-5th Annual Spring Dinner, 1976
Box   12 Folder   4	Booklets and Pamphlets
Box   12 Folder   5	Candidates Forums, 1978-1982
	Conferences
Box   12 Folder   6	6th Annual Black Administrators' and Supervisors' Council Conference, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1976 November 4
Box   12 Folder   7	Ethnic Minority Energy Conference, Madison, Wisconsin, 1982 June 15
Box   12 Folder   8	Luncheon Meeting with Margaret Bush Wilson, Racine, Wisconsin, 1977 March 24
Box   12 Folder   8A	NAACP Invitational Work Conference, 1977 May 6-8
Box   21 Folder   7	National Leadership Summit Conference, Chicago, 1978
Box   12 Folder   9	Project to Improve Depiction of Negroes in Textbooks, 1963
Box   12 Folder   10	Health and Demographic Data by Race, Wisconsin
Box   21 Folder   8	Jury Selection, 1981
Box   12 Folder   11	National Alliance of Business, 1981
Box   12 Folder   12	Phyllis Wheatley Civic Club Inc., Racine-15th Annual Banquet and Roast, 1982
Box   21 Folder   9	Proposed Ordinance on Human Rights, by Racine Branch
Box   12 Folder   13	Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce, Inc, 1980-1984
	Racine Commission on Human Rights
Box   12 Folder   14	General Records, By-Laws, 1964-1968
Box   12 Folder   15	Minutes, 1967-1971
Box   13 Folder   1	“Racine Community Study,” Conducted by the Iowa Urban Community Research Center, University of Iowa, circa 1971?
	Racine County Community Action Program Committee Inc.
Box   13 Folder   2	Affirmative Action Plan, 1976
Box   13 Folder   3	Agency Funding Proposal to Community Services Administration, 1976-1977
Box   13 Folder   4-8	Board of Directors' Meetings - Minutes, 1976-1977 November
Box   13 Folder   9	By-Laws
Box   14 Folder   1	Correspondence, 1975-1976
Box   14 Folder   2	Executive Committee Minutes, 1976-1977
Box   14 Folder   3	Miscellany
Box   21 Folder   10	Newsletters
Box   14 Folder   4	Summary of Work Programs and Budget, 1977-1978
Box   14 Folder   5	Youth Employment Program Final Report, 1976 September
	Racine County Planning Council
Box   14 Folder   6	Correspondence and Summaries, 1974-1982
	Racine Environment Committee Inc.
Box   14 Folder   7	General Correspondence, 1968-1976
Box   14 Folder   8	Financial Records, Treasurer's Reports, and Budgets, 1969-1973, 1975-1976
Box   14 Folder   9	Membership Lists, 1969, 1977
	Minutes of Meetings
Box   14 Folder   10	Annual Meetings, 1975, 1981-1982
Box   14 Folder   11	Executive Committee Meetings, 1972, 1975
Box   14 Folder   12	Miscellany, 1972-1973, 1975-1976
Box   15 Folder   1	National Urban Coalition Correspondence and Papers, 1972-1973, 1975-1976
Box   15 Folder   2	Newsletters, 1969, 1981
	Business Opportunities Corporation
Box   15 Folder   3	Conferences, 1970-1971
Box   15 Folder   4	General Financial Statements, 1971-1972
Box   15 Folder   5	Loan Proposals, 1917-1973
Box   15 Folder   6	Cumulative Summary of Inquiries and Loans, 1971-1972
Box   15 Folder   7	Minutes and Organizational Records, 1971-1976
Box   15 Folder   8	Educational Assistance Program, 1969-1973
	Educational Fund
Box   15 Folder   9	Correspondence, 1981-1983
Box   15 Folder   10-11	Minutes of Trustees Meetings, 1981-1983
Box   15 Folder   12	Racine Police Department, 1967-1982
	Racine Rental Living Unit Advisory Committee
Box   15 Folder   13	Correspondence, 1981-1983
Box   16 Folder   1	Findings, Reports, Summaries, 1981-1983
Box   16 Folder   2	Minutes, 1981-1983
	Racine Unified School District
Box   16 Folder   3	Desegregation Correspondence, 1973-1977
Box   16 Folder   4	“Desegregation Plan for Unified School District No. 1 of Racine County,” 1973 December
Box   16 Folder   5	“The Elimination of Racial Imbalance,” a Presentation and Discussion of Four Plans, 1974 July 8
Box   16 Folder   5	“The Plan to Eliminate Racial Imbalance in the Elementary Schools,” 1975 January 13
Box   16 Folder   6-7	General Records, 1966-1982, undated
Box   16 Folder   8	Unified PTA Council Directory, 1973-1974
Box   16 Folder   9	Progress Report on Racine High School Minorities, 1982
Box   16 Folder   10	Project Head Start Proposal, 1976-1977
	Racine United Community Services (Racine United Fund)
Box   16 Folder   11	Correspondence, 1970-1972
Box   17 Folder   1	Minutes, 1970-1972
Box   Folder   2	Reports, Summaries, Agreements, 1970-1972
	Wisconsin Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Professionals Inc.
Box   17 Folder   3	By-Laws, 1982
Box   17 Folder   4	Annual Conferences, 1980-1983
Box   17 Folder   5	Correspondence, 1979-1982
Box   17 Folder   6	Membership Lists, 1982
Box   17 Folder   7	Minutes, 1981-1982
Box   17 Folder   8	Winter Business Session, 1980 January 17
Box   17 Folder   9	Youth March for Integrated Schools - Correspondence, 1959
	Series: National, Regional, and State NAACP Records	⇧
	National Records
Box   17 Folder   10	Annual Meeting Report, 1978 January 6-9
	National Conventions
Box   17 Folder   11-16	56th-58th, 60th-62nd National Conventions, 1965-1967, 1969-1971
Box   18 Folder   1-12	63rd-70th, 72nd-75th National Conventions, 1972-1979, 1981-1984
	Regional Records
Box   19 Folder   1	Annual Elections Balloting, 1977, 1981
Box   19 Folder   2	Field Trainer's Reports, 1971
Box   19 Folder   3-11	Leadership Training Conferences, 1965, 1969, 1972-1976, 1978-1979, 1981-1982
Box   19 Folder   12	Procedure Manual for Leadership Training Conference
Box   19 Folder   13	Reports of Membership and Branch Assessments, 1970-1973
Box   19 Folder   13	Membership Task Force Minutes, 1974
Box   19 Folder   14	Newsletter, 1975
	State Records
Box   19 Folder   15	Black Data Booklet
Box   19 Folder   16	State Constitution
Box   19 Folder   17	Correspondence, 1961-1983
Box   19 Folder   18-19	State Conference (Conference of Wisconsin NAACP Branches) Minutes and Other Papers, 1964-1984
Box   19 Folder   20	Wisconsin State NAACP Energy Conference, Milwaukee, 1978
Box   19 Folder   21	Minutes of State Executive Board Meetings and Wisconsin Conference of Branches Board Meetings, 1967-1978
Box   21 Folder   11	Newsletters, November 1975-September 1984
Audio 1153A	Series: Audio Recordings	⇧
Audio   1153A/1	NAACP Lincoln Day Presentation, 1968
Audio   1153A/2	NAACP Lincoln Day Program, 1969
Audio   1153A/3	Public Service Announcement, NAACP Membership Appeal
Audio   1153A/4	NAACP Members Public Service Announcement #2
Audio   1153A/5	“NAACP Speaks to the Troubled Campus,” 1971
Audio   1153A/6	Nancy Henry speech at the Freedom Fund Dinner, Janesville, 1980 October 4