The National Association of Colored People was established in 1909 as an attempt to combat the racial hatred and discrimination that plagued the era. Since its inception the organization has attempted to work with various non-white communities in and out of the courtroom. By supporting such cases such as Moore V Dempsey, Guinn V United States and the iconic Plessy V Ferguson, the group’s influence in both modern day and past civil rights movements cannot be denied. With this in mind this group has also had its many pitfalls and has not always, and still to this day, have the support of the entire black community for valid reasons. Many people feel that the founding of the NAACP by a majority white group is problematic in itself. Others,
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Dempsey. This case challenged the lack of due process, guaranteed by the 14th amendment, when it came to black defendants. This case was the result of the Elain Race Riot in Phillips County Arkansas. This riot began after a white railroad security guard was gunned down by an unknown shooter after a fire fight outside of a church where a black farmer’s union was holding a meeting. Charles Hillman Brough, the governor of the city ordered a group of federal troops to arrest black people in the county. The only means of escape from this was for a black person to procure a signed by military officials and confirmed by a respected white citizen. In the weeks this the troops killed upwards of two hundred black people. Like the grandfather clause, the requirement of an official document signed and sealed by white people was a way of making a law that seemed reasonable from the white view point but in actuality was a poorly veiled attempt at racial segregation and racism. Following these murders and arrests on the part of the troops the faux trial began. The grand jury who presided of the cases was made up of white landlords and merchants and this group decided which people would be indicted and which would be set free. Instead of relying on evidence, this grand jury effectively black mailed the accused African Americans. In order to gain their freedom the people would have to follow every order given by the grand jury and testify against their own. There were twelve black men named as ring leaders to this riot and murder, they were all indicted and imprisoned. During their imprisonment they were subjected to torture through beatings and electric shock. The purpose of the torture was to not only remind the black victims that they were still effectively powerless against white supremacy and racism, but to gain a forced confession from the accused. The trials
Dempsey. This case challenged the lack of due process, guaranteed by the 14th amendment, when it came to black defendants. This case was the result of the Elain Race Riot in Phillips County Arkansas. This riot began after a white railroad security guard was gunned down by an unknown shooter after a fire fight outside of a church where a black farmer’s union was holding a meeting. Charles Hillman Brough, the governor of the city ordered a group of federal troops to arrest black people in the county. The only means of escape from this was for a black person to procure a signed by military officials and confirmed by a respected white citizen. In the weeks this the troops killed upwards of two hundred black people. Like the grandfather clause, the requirement of an official document signed and sealed by white people was a way of making a law that seemed reasonable from the white view point but in actuality was a poorly veiled attempt at racial segregation and racism. Following these murders and arrests on the part of the troops the faux trial began. The grand jury who presided of the cases was made up of white landlords and merchants and this group decided which people would be indicted and which would be set free. Instead of relying on evidence, this grand jury effectively black mailed the accused African Americans. In order to gain their freedom the people would have to follow every order given by the grand jury and testify against their own. There were twelve black men named as ring leaders to this riot and murder, they were all indicted and imprisoned. During their imprisonment they were subjected to torture through beatings and electric shock. The purpose of the torture was to not only remind the black victims that they were still effectively powerless against white supremacy and racism, but to gain a forced confession from the accused. The trials