Years ago, as the Great Depression smothered the nation, blacks in St. Petersburg couldn't sit on its famous green benches, visit the Million Dollar Pier or set foot in waterfront parks. Rigid, but unofficial, zoning restrictions dictated where black people could live. It was onto this stage that the St. Petersburg branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People emerged.
In St. Petersburg's black community, early struggles for basic rights were stymied by lack of political power. A 1931 city charter included a clause that banned whites from living or having businesses in black neighborhoods and blacks doing the same in white neighborhoods. Strict enforcement proved impractical, but it had the effect of continuing to confine virtually all black residents in certain neighborhoods.
The year was 1933. The new local chapter lagged behind the birth of the national organization by almost a quarter-century. Over the next 76 years, the St. Petersburg group confronted racism, obvious and covert. Its efforts would lead to improved housing for black residents, the end of whites-only lunch counters, public restrooms, movie theaters, golf courses and swimming areas, better opportunities for black school children and access to once-restricted economic and career opportunities.
Mission Statement
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.
Vision Statement
The vision of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights and there is no racial hatred or racial discrimination.
