The 1970s: Affirmative Action in Wooster/Orville
Written by Mukta Pillai. Edited by Jordan Biro Walters, PhD and Elora Agsten, MSLIS.
National initiatives in the NAACP
In the 1970s, the national NAACP found itself navigating a changing political landscape shaped by debates over an array of social issues. These issues included the military, prisons, affirmative action and equal access to education. National leaders called for investigations into racial discrimination in the military and supported prison programs that provided educational resources and legal advocacy for incarcerated individuals.
Education remained central to many of the organization's initiatives during the decade. In 1977, the NAACP launched the ACT-SO competition, a nationwide initiative designed to recognize and encourage Black high school students in various academic fields. Educational accessibility came to the forefront during the 1978 University of California v. Bakke decision, where the University of California’s acceptance policies were challenged in court. The Supreme Court ruled that racial quotas in university admissions violated the Constitution, while affirming that race could remain one factor among many in admissions decisions.
For the NAACP, the case became a pivotal moment in the struggle over affirmative action. Advocating for programs designed to address generations of discrimination remained essential to achieving educational equality. The national debate also extended beyond college admissions, bringing renewed attention to affirmative action in hiring and promotion as employers across the country faced increasing scrutiny over equal employment opportunities. Those conversations shaped civil rights activism in communities like Wooster, where access to jobs and professional advancement became central concerns for the local NAACP chapter.
The Wooster/Orville NAACP sponsored multiple workshops discussing affirmative action and employment for the general public, which wasn't always well-received.
Economic expansion within Wooster
At the local level, the Wooster/Orrville NAACP shaped its activism around similar questions of accessibility. Under the leadership of chapter president James Harris the organization consistently emphasized the importance of expanding professional and business opportunities for Black residents. By the late 1970s, the chapter's activism increasingly focused on holding local institutions accountable. ​
Courtesy of WDHP. Rubbermaid, one of the major employers in Wooster, had its headquarters in the city until 1998. Rubbermaid left the building in 2003, officially departing Wooster.
In 1978, the Wooster/Orrville NAACP asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Rubbermaid Inc. of Wooster and their employment practices. The NAACP chapter charged the company with a violation Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. Specifically, it charged that Rubbermaid had violated the act in regards to hiring, discharge, benefits, and wages. Rubbermaid released a statement expressing their confusion as the president of the Wooster-Orrville of the NAACP was an employee at the location accused of discrimination. The Equal Opportunity Commission was also involved with the investigation of the company. As one of Wooster’s largest employers and a major presence in the local economy, Rubbermaid held considerable influence within the community.
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​Employment practices also came under scrutiny at the College of Wooster. In 1978, former history professor Juanita Browne filed a lawsuit alleging discriminatory hiring practices after her dismissal from the College. Juanita Browne appealed that the College's refusal to renewal was due to racial and gender discrimation.
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Although the court ultimately ruled in the College's favor, Browne's case drew attention to questions of racial equity in faculty hiring and became part of a broader local conversation about equal employment opportunities. Coverage in the student newspaper, The Wooster Voice, reflected the visibility of the case on campus and within the wider community.
As the NAACP and other civil rights groups pushed for equal opportunity in hiring, there was also pushback, as shown in these images from the Wooster Voice.
The fight for Civil Rights Recognition: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Petitioning for MLK Day
Among other initiatives, the Wooster/Orrville NAACP supported nationwide efforts to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday. Across the United States, Black activists and civil rights organizations encouraged schools, workplaces, and local governments to publicly recognize King's legacy through an annual holiday.
In Wooster, James Harris, Lydia Thompson, and other NAACP members, advocated for the recognition of King's accomplishments, presenting the proposed holiday as part of a broader commitment to civic responsibility. During the same period, community council meetings also became an important forum for discussing local educational issues. Advocates raised concerns about the treatment of minority students, the hiring of Black educators, and the visibility of Black history and achievement within public education. With this, the Wooster/Orrville NAACP's work extended beyond commemorative initiatives to address ongoing inequalities within local schools.
Students gather, protesting discrimination on campus and within the community.
Wooster Voice reports on programs celebrating African American history and the Black experience.
Reflecting on the 70s
As the decade came to a close, the work of the Wooster/Orrville NAACP reflected a larger story unfolding across the United States. Community members, local leaders, educators, and students all contributed to the chapter's efforts, demonstrating that the pursuit of civil rights extended far beyond landmark court decisions or national legislation.
College of Wooster students stand together during a protest.
In Wayne County, progress grew through the persistence of individuals willing to question established institutions, organize their neighbors, and insist that equal opportunity remain a community responsibility. Their work carried the chapter into the next decade, laying the foundation for continued activism in Wooster and beyond.
Sources and Further Reading
Primary Sources
“Affirmative Action is a Workshop Topic”, Daily Record (Wooster, Ohio), December 6, 1978
“African-American Activism at the College of Wooster · Wooster Digital History Project.” Accessed June 29, 2026. https://woosterhistory.org/exhibits/show/blackcampusactivism.
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Bee Collins, “Resolution Urges Dedication To Equal Opportunity In City”, Daily Record (Wooster, Ohio), January 17, 1978
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Editors, Wooster Voice, "The Wooster Voice (Wooster, OH), 1975-01-31" (1975). The Voice: 1971-1980. 108.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/voice1971-1980/108
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Editors, Wooster Voice, "The Wooster Voice (Wooster, OH), 1978-10-20" (1978). The Voice: 1971-1980. 205.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/voice1971-1980/205
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​“Eight Decades of Rubbermaid in Wooster · Wooster Digital History Project.” Accessed June 29, 2026. https://woosterhistory.org/exhibits/show/rubbermaid.
“Housing To Be Meeting Topic For Interfaith”, Daily Record (Wooster, Ohio), January 29, 1971
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Index Editors, "Index 1972" (1972). 1971-2017. 2. https://openworks.wooster.edu/index1970-2017/2
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Index Editors, "Index 1976" (1976). 1971-2017. 6. https://openworks.wooster.edu/index1970-2017/6
“Insist on King Day”, Daily Record (Wooster, Ohio), February 21, 1978
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“Interfaith Commission Plans Meeting Dinner Meeting on Welfare”, Daily Record (Wooster, Ohio), April 7, 1970
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Judi Miller, “Blacks Don’t Want Handouts”, Daily Record (Wooster, Ohio), May 26, 1979
“Rubbermaid is Accused of Employment Violation”, Daily Record (Wooster, Ohio), April 19, 1978
“Sylvia Lockett Speaks About Minority Students”, Daily Record (Wooster, Ohio), November 15, 1978
Harris, James. James Harris Oral History Interview on Wooster History. Interview by Greg Shaya, Mady Noble, and Beatrice Adams. The Wooster Digital History Project: The College of Wooster, 2022.
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Thompson, Lydia. Lydia Thompson Oral History Interview on Wooster History. Interview by Greg Shaya and Lawrence Walker. The Wooster Digital History Project: The College of Wooster, 2022.
​Walker, Lawrence. Lawrence Walker Oral History Interview on Wooster History. Interview by Greg Shaya, Mady Noble, Delani Patterson, and Bryce Thompson. The Wooster Digital History Project: The College of Wooster, 2023.
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Williams, Yvonne. Yvonne Williams Oral History Interview on Wooster History. Interview by Greg Shaya, Mady Noble, and Aaron Huq. The Wooster Digital History Project: The College of Wooster, 2022.
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Secondary Sources​
Fuller, Sara S. The Ohio Black History Guide. Archives-Library Division Ohio Historical Society, 1975.
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Giffin, W. W. (2005). African Americans and the color line in Ohio, 1915-1930. Ohio State University Press. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0514/2005015260.html
Koehler, John C. “Black Leadership Matters: An Organizational and Political Comparison of Black Lives Matter and the Civil Rights Movement.” Sociological Focus 57, no. 4 (2024): 601–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380237.2024.2386257.
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McIlwain, Nadine, and Geraldine Radcliffe. African Americans of Canton, Ohio: Treasures of Black History. Arcadia Publishing, 2019.
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Williamson, Terrion L. Black in the Middle: An Anthology of the Black Midwest. Cleveland, Ohio Best Publishing, 2020.
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