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On February 9, 1909, on the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, sixty prominent black and white citizens issued "The Call" for a national conference in New York City to renew "the struggle for civil and political liberty." A distinguished group of black leaders added their voice to the movement. Principal among these was W.E.B. DuBois, who was the catalyst in forming the Niagara Movement, and Ida Well-Barnett, a young journalist, who through eloquent editorials focused national attention on the epidemic of lynchings.
Participants at the conference agreed to work toward the abolition of forced segregation, promotion of equal education and civil rights under the protection of law, and an end to racial violence. In 1911, that organization was incorporated as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People - the NAACP.
For 89 years, the NAACP through political pressure, marches, demonstrations and effective lobbying - has served as the voice, as well as the shield of minority Americans. As the nation's largest advocacy organization, our prolonged agitation for peaceful change has been felt in every comer of American life.