NAACP | Definition

 

Course: Introduction / Policing

NAACP is an acronym for The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which is an African-American civil rights organization founded in 1909.


The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is one of the oldest and most prominent civil rights organizations in the United States. Founded in 1909, the NAACP has a long history of working toward the advancement and protection of the rights of people of color.

Throughout its history, the NAACP has been involved in many important criminal justice issues affecting people of color. For example, the organization has fought against racial profiling, police brutality, and the disproportionate representation of minorities in the criminal justice system.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the NAACP worked to end racial discrimination in the criminal justice system by advocating for fair trials for black defendants and by exposing the use of false testimony and coerced confessions. This work continued into the 1960s and 1970s, when the organization focused on challenging the widespread use of capital punishment and the racially discriminatory application of the death penalty.

More recently, the NAACP has been involved in advocating for criminal justice reform at both the state and federal levels. The organization has supported efforts to end mass incarceration, reduce mandatory minimum sentences, and increase funding for alternatives to imprisonment, such as drug treatment programs and mental health services.

The NAACP has also been active in working to address the issue of police brutality, particularly against unarmed black men. In recent years, the organization has called for the implementation of police body cameras, the creation of citizen review boards to oversee police misconduct investigations, and the establishment of independent prosecutors to handle cases involving police use of force.

In addition to these issues, the NAACP has also been a vocal advocate for the restoration of voting rights for individuals with criminal convictions, the reduction of racial disparities in sentencing, and the elimination of private prisons.


Learn More

On This Site

On Other Sites


[ Glossary ]

Last Modified:  04/08/2023

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.