By:Lalainya Allen

 The NAACP have played a very important part in the civil rights movement. The initials stand for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

 The NAACP was founded in 1909 by a group of multi-racial activists. It was originally called the National Negro Committee.  The NAACP started to fight injustices in 1910 with the Pink Franklin case. Though they failed in this case, the organization resolved to use the law and the law courts to fight its campaign lead by the brothers Joel and Arthur Spingarn.

 In 1955, NAACP member Rosa Parks was arrested and fined for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This sparked off the famous Montgomery bus boycott which lead to all the major civil rights groups combining their efforts. This protest was organized by Martin Luther King. The loss of revenue from the 17,000 African Americans in Montgomery who refused to use buses, lead the Montgomery Bus Company withdrawing its segregation policy.

 The overall concept of the 100 began in New York in 1963 when a group of concerned African American men began to meet to explore ways of improving conditions in their community. The group eventually adopted the name, "100 Black Men, Inc." as a sign of solidarity. These men envisioned an organization that would implement programs designed to improve the quality of life for African Americans and other minorities.

 They also wished to ensure the future of their communities by aiming an intense number of resources toward youth development. These members were successful black men from various walks of life. These visionaries were business and industry leaders such as David Dinkins, Robert Mangum, Dr. William Hayling, Nathaniel Goldston III, Livingston Wingate, Andrew Hatcher, and Jackie Robinson.