Full Name
Date of Birth
August 30, 1901
Date of Death
September 8, 1981
Place of Birth
St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Place of Death
New York City, New York, United States
Education
Spouse’s Name
- Minnie Badeau (m. 1929)
Known Affiliates Names
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) (executive director)
- Walter Francis White (predecessor as NAACP executive director)
- Benjamin Hooks (successor as NAACP executive director)
Affiliated Organizations’ Names
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) (executive director)
Major Events
Brief Biography
Roy Wilkins, born on August 30, 1901, in St. Louis, Missouri, was a prominent civil rights leader and executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 1955 to 1977. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1923 and became a journalist, working for the St. Paul Appeal and later the Kansas City Call. Wilkins joined the NAACP staff in 1931 and edited its official publication, The Crisis, between 1934 and 1949. He also directed the NAACP’s anti-discrimination program during that time. In 1949–50, he chaired the National Emergency Civil Rights Mobilization, an organization composed of more than 100 local and national groups. Wilkins was appointed as the NAACP’s executive director in 1955 and played a crucial role in the American Civil Rights Movement, advocating for equal rights for African Americans through legal means. He passed away on September 8, 1981, in New York City, New York[1][2][3][4][5].
Citations: [1] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Roy-Wilkins [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Wilkins [3] https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/civil-rights-leaders/roy-wilkins [4] https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/wilkins-roy-1901-1981/ [5] https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/wilkins-roy-ottaway