National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Alabama 1958

AuthorDaniel Brannen, Richard Hanes, Elizabeth Shaw
Pages11-15

Page 11

Petitioner: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Respondent: State of Alabama

Petitioner's Claim: That forcing the NAACP to reveal the names of its Alabama members violated their freedom of association.

Chief Lawyer for Petitioner: Robert L. Carter

Chief Lawyer for Respondent: Edmond L. Rinehart, Assistant Attorney General of Alabama

Justices for the Court: Hugo Lafayette Black, William J. Brennan, Jr., Harold Burton, Tom C. Clark, William O. Douglas, John Marshall Harlan II (writing for the Court), Potter Stewart, Earl Warren, Charles Evans Whittaker

Justices Dissenting: None

Date of Decision: June 30, 1958

Decision: The NAACP did not have to reveal the names of its Alabama members.

Significance: The decision said privacy is an essential part of the freedom of association. Privacy was important for many African Americans during the civil rights movement, which was unpopular among many white Americans.

Page 12

Separate is not equal

In the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the U.S. Supreme Court said segregation in public schools is unconstitutional. Segregation was the practice of separating black and white people in different facilities. After Brown, however, segregation continued in public places such as restaurants, buses, restrooms, and water fountains.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ("NAACP") is an organization that works to ensure equality for minorities in the United States. It has headquarters in New York and branch offices throughout the nation. In the 1950s, the NAACP fought to help African Americans end segregation. Many white Americans who did not want African Americans to be equal fought against the NAACP. This was especially true in southern states.

Way down south

In Alabama in the 1950s, the NAACP had a branch office plus affiliate organizations, which acted as local associations. The NAACP worked in

The arrest of NAACP worker Rosa Parks in 1955 spurred a great deal of civil rights activism in Alabama. Reproduced by permission of AP/Wide World Photos.

Page 13

Alabama to recruit members, seek donations, and help African American students get into the state university. In 1955, an African American and NAACP worker named Rosa Parks was arrested for violating a bus segregation law in Montgomery, Alabama, by refusing to...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT