NAACP, Memphis Branch records

The records of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Memphis Branch were generated during the tenure of Maxine A. Smith as Executive Secretary and document the branch's efforts to secure equal employment, equal housing opportunities, protect the civil rights of Black citizens, and improve the overall quality of life for African Americans in Memphis. The largest portion of the records consists of reports, including Executive Secretary reports and annual reports; the remainder of the collection consists of correspondence, press releases, and newsletters. Executive Secretary reports cover the years 1969 to 1995. They contain information regarding dissatisfaction with employment and housing opportunities, police brutality, as well as a calls for membership and publicity events. The annual reports span the years 1975 to 1994 and contain a compilation of each year's secretary reports. The correspondence is arranged chronologically and consists primarily of letters written by the NAACP Chairman and Co-Chairman of the Attack on Crime program. The letters from Chairman Fred C. Lofton and Co-Chairman Milton Guthrie give details of the branch's anti-crime efforts. The letters include enclosures with recommendations adopted by the NAACP Memphis Branch executive board and a position paper on the NAACP's direction regarding crime and violence in Memphis. Correspondence to and from Maxine Smith date from 1990 and include letters addressing the dissatisfaction with the selection process for new presidents at Shelby State Community College and at Roane State Community College as well as grievances concerning police brutality.