ABSTRACT
An ancient East Indian children’s tale speaks of the nine blind menwho, upon touching different parts of an elephant, came to different conclusions regarding the shape of the animal. Similarly, individual perceptions regarding the nature of the NAACP vary according to each individual’s personal experience with the organization. Of the many possibilities, perhaps the most common is the perception that the principal activity of the NAACP is litigation. Probably because of the Brown decision, many Americans perceive the NAACP as a master of legal strategy and skill. In addition, the highly publicized activities of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, whose public relations skills were preeminent among civil rights agencies from 1954 to the end of the 1980s, added to the inaccurate perception that most of the NAACP’s resources were expended on court cases. Indeed, the NAACP has done more than any other institution in our nation to legitimize the employment of litigation to resolve disputes peacefully. Therefore, to many Americans, the NAACP has become synonymous with legal activism.
