National Conflicts
Nationally, Dr. Benjamin Hooks, the chairperson of the NAACP, was replaced by Reverend Benjamin Chavis Jr. in 1992. Less than a year and a half later, Chavis was asked to step down due to sexual misconduct and improper spending of NAACP funds. Upper members of the NAACP, including Chavis, were accused of allowing gender-based discrimination to occur. In a replacement vote, Myrlie Evers-Williams would narrowly win the vote 30-29 against William Gibson. Evers-Williams win helped to soften the masculine image of the NAACP. In civil rights activism, Black women’s work often goes under recognized including in the NAACP, since few women held leadership roles. The NAACP also had financial troubles. The organization obtained approximately $4.7 million in debt from Chavis, although lower numbers have been reported, between $4.5-3 million. National turmoil was added to by police brutality and court cases. These issues combined lead to some Black Americans wanting a public statement or demonstration that could be acknowledged as people outside of politics. (the last two sentences need workshopping; write in active voice rather than passive) and be clear about a public statement from NAACP? demonstration against what?
Myrile Evers-Williams speaking, exact date unknown but likely at the swearing in of Kweisi as the president of NAACP in 1996.
Chavis claimed he inherited the debt from Hooks, Hooks denied these claims. The debts came from Chavis paying Mary Stansel to hide his sexual assault. Chavis committed to paying Stansel nearly 1/3 of a million of which $64,000 was paid from NAACP funds when he was fired. Improper accounting further led to daily deficit. Gibson contributed to the debt racking up $1 million on a company credit card. The NAACP faced lawsuits by Chavis regarding the early termination of contract and from Stephanie Rones about gender discrimination. Despite these financial challenges, they would recover quickly. This was done by asking local branches, like Wooster/Orrville, to contribute $1,000 each and furloughing 88 employees for two weeks. In 1996, Chairperson Evers-Williams would visit Wooster and speak at the College.
Local Progress
Wooster would also have a turnover in leadership, but without any scandal. Lawrence Walker, who served as vice president, moved into the president role, replacing Ron Hill in 1991. His closeness with his mother, Mary Walker, led him to pursue activism within the community. When he was a junior in high school, she ran for city council. However, Mary’s name was left off the ballot and had to be written in. Walker remembers this being a turning point in his life, propelling him into activism. Following his mother’s footsteps, he served on the fair housing board for many years. [With his service?,] the housing board saw a marked improvement, When Walker stepping into the role, he handled multiple cases a week. In his tenth year, he only had one case?
Second Baptist Church shows Lawrence Walkers family tree
Primarily, Walker's NAACP presidency focused on equal employment opportunities and housing on a local level. Growing up in Wooster, Walker was familiar with complaints in these two areas. In his oral history, he speaks about the difficulty of intervening in workplace discrimination. [What strides? explain] These strides were able to be taken because of previous work of the national chapter of the NAACP and other civil rights groups. On a national level, the NAACP was largely devoted to rebuilding financial difficulties.
Congregation of Second Baptist Church when Lawrence Walker was a member
Citations
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Pittsburgh Post - Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pa., United States). “Chavis’ Chapter: [SOONER Edition].” EDITORIAL. August 24, 1994.
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Page, Clarence. “IMAGE AWARD? THE BATTLE’S NOT OVER FOR NAACP: [NORTH SPORTS FINAL Edition].” PERSPECTIVE. Chicago Tribune (Pre-1997 Fulltext) (Chicago, Ill., United States), February 22, 1995.
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Marable, Manning. “The Black Radical Congress: Revitalizing the Black Freedom Movement.” The Black Scholar 28, no. 1 (1998): 54–70. https://doi.org/10.2307/41068775.
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Emerge (Rosslyn, United States). “Triumphant Flight: Myrlie Evers-Williams Overcame Doubters, Insults and Slights at the NAACP.” March 1999.
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Sevilla, Graciela, and Guy Gugliotta. “NAACP Sets Fund-Raising Drive to Retire Debt; Goal Is $3.8 Million by Year’s End; Union Files Grievance on Behalf of Furloughed Staff: [FINAL Edition].” A SECTION. The Washington Post (Pre-1997 Fulltext) (Washington, D.C., United States), November 3, 1994.
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Claremont.edu. “Myrlie Evers-Williams Speaking at NAACP Meeting with Kweisi Mfume in Attendance,” 2023. https://ccdl.claremont.edu/digital/collection/mew/id/69/rec/5.
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Editors, Wooster Voice, "The Wooster Voice (Wooster, OH), 1995-11-17" (1995). The Voice: 1991-2000. 129.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/voice1991-2000/129 -
Purnell, Brian, Jeanne Theoharis, and Komozi Woodard. The Strange Careers of the Jim Crow North : Segregation and Struggle outside of the South. New York: New York University Press, 2019.
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Walker, Lawrence . Lawrence Walker Oral History Interview - On the History of Wooster, Ohio - June 21, 2023. Interview by Delani Patterson, Bryce Thompson, and Mady Noble, June 21, 2023.