The History of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Texas

Abstract

The first branch of the NAACP in Texas was established in El Paso in 1915 and by 1918 four branches called Texas home. But Texas did not provide a welcome to the new Texas branches that were met with bitter racial animus often fostered by white supremacy organizations like the Ku Klux Klan. These organizations were known for their campaigns of intimidation that often kept African Americans from participating in constitutionally guaranteed rights like voting. While other branches of the NAACP emerged in Texas, many disbanded under threat by the government bolstered by the lawlessness of the Ku Klux Klan. By 1923, only five branches existed in Texas and a resurgence of the organization did not begin until World War II and immediately thereafter. By 1945, the Texas state conference of the NAACP was the second largest in the country boasting more than one hundred branches and almost 30,000 members. From that time to this, the NAACP branches in Texas have grown and continue to flourish. The African American Experience in Texas chronicles the creation, development and history of the Texas branches. From Jim Crow to Barack Obama, the NAACP Texas stands as a symbol of freedom, equality and justice in Texas for all.