Contents
- Descriptive Summary
- Biographical/Historical note
- Related Archival Materials note
- Restrictions
- Processing Information note
- Cited Sources
- Scope and Contents note
- Indexed Terms
- Inventory
Collection Access
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Evanston Chapter Records
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Evanston Chapter Records
- Identifier
- BMRC.SHOREFRONT.NAACP-EV_CHAPTER
- Repository
- Shorefront Legacy Center
- Language
- English
- Size
- 20.5 Linear feet
- Predominant Dates
- Bulk, 1984-2005
- Dates
- 1903-2010, bulk dates 1984-2005
Biographical/Historical note
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in 1909, “to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.” After the establishment of the national organization, smaller chapters were formed to provide a sense of community and belonging to the larger entity.
Founded in 1928, the Evanston Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) upholds the mission, “to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority group citizens of the United States and eliminate race prejudice... to remove all barriers of racial discrimination through the democratic processes” on both the national and local levels. The records within this collection begin in 1903 and span through 2010. The organization is involved in leadership for the Evanston’s black community.
Restrictions
Series VI. Complaint Records: names and addresses that have not been redacted from the records are currently restricted to protect the privacy of the individuals.
Processing Information note
Processed by CLIR funded Black Metropolis Research Consortium “Color Curtain Processing Project.” By Angelique Schuler, November 12, 2013 and Dustin Witsman. June 18th, 2012.
Cited Sources
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. “NAACP: 100 Years of History.” Last modified 2012. http://www.naacp.org/pages/naacp-history
Scope and Contents note
The majority of the records contained within this collection highlight the administrative responsibilities of the organization through meeting minutes, employment projects, community housing, youth involvement and programs, and discrimination issues facing the Evanston and North Shore community.
The collection is organized into ten series, “Administrative Records,” “Election Records,” “Freedom Fund Banquet Records,” “Youth Records,” “Collaborative Project Records,” “Complaint Records,” “Publications,” “Newspaper Clippings,” “Photographs,” and “Memorabilia.” These records include an “Addendum” which is located at the end of the collection.
Indexed Terms
- African Americans--Illinois--Evanston.
- Chicago, Ill.
- Civil rights--America.
- Evanston (Ill.)
- Evanston (Ill.)--History.
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People--History--20th century.
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Freedom Fund Program
Inventory
Administrative Records are separated into three subseries; “Meeting Minutes and Annual Reports,” “NAACP Correspondence,” and “Personal Data Files.” All of these materials directly relate to the functioning of the NAACP Evanston Chapter.
This subseries contains meeting minutes for the NAACP Evanston Chapter meeting, for both local and the national meetings. Also included in this subseries are the annual reports for the Evanston Chapter. This subseries is arranged in chronological order.
- Title
- Meeting Minutes and Annual Reports,
- Dates
- 1965-2002
This subseries contains correspondence to and from the NAACP Evanston Chapter to member and letters from members to the Evanston Chapter. The correspondence is separated into two categories, mailed and email. Box 6 contains the mailed correspondence and box 7 contains e-mail correspondence. The majority of the correspondence relates to various chapter functions and events. This subseries is arranged in chronological order.
- Title
- Mailed Correspondence,
- Dates
- 1970-2001
- Title
- Emailed Correspondence,
- Dates
- 1995-2001
This subseries contains data files for various NAACP Evanston Chapter Administrative leaders. The records provide biographical information for these individuals. The files are maintained in the original order.
- Title
- Personal Data Records,
- Dates
- undated
This series contains information related to the NAACP’s efforts to encourage members to vote in local and national elections. Within this series are fliers, brochures, and printouts that highlight the importance of voting. Many of the materials provide information about the various candidates that ran for office in both local and national elections. In addition, this series contains materials related to the election of leadership to the Evanston chapter of the NAACP.
- Title
- Election Records,
- Dates
- 1984-2001
The Freedom Fund Banquet is an annual fundraiser for the NAACP. The Evanston Chapter maintained records for these annual events. This series contains brochures, fliers, and handouts from the annual events. This subseries is arranged in chronological order.
- Title
- Freedom Fund Banquet Records,
- Dates
- 1964-2004
The Youth Records series contains materials pertaining to the Evanston Chapter involvement at Evanston Township High School, college information, and youth employment information. The Evanston Chapter made many efforts to be involved with community youth and to encourage education and employment. This series contains event fliers, scholarship information, and job postings.
- Title
- Youth Records,
- Dates
- 1985-2000
Collaborative Project Records contain the records for various NAACP involvement in the Evanston community with other organizations. The records are separated into four subseries; “NAACP Evanston Projects,” “University of California at Irvine (UCI) Projects,” “United Block Club of Evanston (UBCE) Projects,” and “PATH Press Projects.” All of these materials relate to the involvement of the NAACP Evanston Chapter in the Evanston community.
This subseries contains various projects that the Evanston Chapter encouraged African American involvement within the Evanston community. These projects relate to social issues in Evanston and were programs organized by the NAACP. The documents reflect projects that focus on housing, job fairs information, and community development. This series is arranged in the original order.
- Title
- NAACP Projects,
- Dates
- 1997-2000
This subseries contains specific projects that began at the University of California at Irvine (UCI) and influenced many of the national chapters, including Evanston Chapter. The Evanston chapter included many of these small projects related to education, employment, medical and political projects to create connections within the community.
- Title
- UCI Projects,
- Dates
- 1997-2000
The United Block Club of Evanston worked on several projects with the NAACP to promote educational and work programs in the community. Contents of this subseries contain the files that detail the work done between United Block Clubs of Evanston and the NAACP Evanston Chapter.
- Title
- United Block Club of Evanston Projects,
- Dates
- 1996-2001
This subseries contains invoices for printing projects and book orders for the NAACP Evanston Chapter from PATH Press. It shows the working relationship between the two entities. This series is maintained in original order.
- Title
- PATH Press Projects,
- Dates
- 1996-2001
This series contains complaint records submitted to the NACCP Evanston Chapter. The series is broken down into three subseries; Union Complaints, Personal Complaints, and Legal Complaint Cases.
This subseries contains union complaints against larger organizations or companies where Evanston NAACP members worked and experienced racial discrimination.
- Title
- Union Complaints,
- Dates
- 1950-1965
This subseries contains personal complaints from individuals in the Evanston community regarding discrimination. The grievances were sent to the NAACP Evanston Chapter asking for assistance on how to address issues of discrimination in a diplomatic manner. The documents contain work and community complaint records.
- Title
- Personal Complaints,
- Dates
- 1950-2001
This series contains a legal case that began as a discrimination complaint in the Evanston community. The contents are the legal transcripts from the cases proceedings.
- Title
- Legal Complaint Cases,
- Dates
- 1963
This series contains publications from the Evanston community that the NAACP. Within this series are local publications, bound brochures and pamphlets, community fliers and newsletters. This series is arranged in chronological order.
- Title
- Publications,
- Dates
- 1962-2002, undated
This series contains newspaper clippings that mention or relate to the Evanston Chapter of the NAACP. The newspaper clippings are arranged in chronological order.
- Title
- Newspaper Clippings,
- Dates
- 1996-1997
The photographs were created at various Evanston Chapter events and members. The photographs are arranged in the original order.
- Title
- Photographs,
- Dates
- undated
This series contains memorabilia saved from NAACP Evanston Chapter events. The majority of the items are award plaques that honor various members for their work and dedication to the organization. Also within this series are posters and calendars from Evanston Chapter events.
- Title
- Memorabilia,
- Dates
- undated
Addendum I was processed by Dustin Witsman in 2012. The materials were organized into two series, “Organizational” and “Publications.”
This series contains material relating to the organizational aspects of the Evanston/North Shore Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It includes meeting minutes, community involvement, events, and correspondence.
- Title
- Organizational,
- Dates
- 1999-2005
- Title
- Events,
- Dates
- 2003-2005
- Title
- Voting,
- Dates
- 2000-2003
- Title
- Speeches,
- Dates
- undated
- Title
- News Clippings,
- Dates
- 1903-2003
This series consists of published programs from the annual Freedom Fund Banquet held by the Evanston/North Shore Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
- Title
- Labor and Industrial Monthly,
- Dates
- 2007
- Title
- Annual Freedom Fund Banquet ,
- Dates
- 1984-1986
- Title
- Annual Freedom Fund Banquet ,
- Dates
- 1990-1993
- Title
- Annual Freedom Fund Banquet,
- Dates
- 2000-2003
- Title
- Annual Freedom Fund Banquet,
- Dates
- 2004-2006
- Title
- Annual Freedom Fund Banquet,
- Dates
- 2007-2010