Margaret Wilson, First Black Woman to Head N.A.A.C.P. Board, Dies at 90
Margaret Bush Wilson, who became the first black woman to head the board of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, then was ousted in a bitter power struggle in 1983, died on Tuesday in St. Louis. She was 90.
The N.A.A.C.P. announced her death.
Mrs. Wilson came from a prominent middle-class black family deeply committed to civil rights and the N.A.A.C.P. and once said she was “born and raised” in the organization. She was the first woman to be president of the 6,000-member branch of the N.A.A.C.P. in her native St. Louis and became chairwoman of the national group in 1975, holding the post for nine years.
The first woman to hold the position was Mary White Ovington, a white woman and a founder, who led the group from 1917 to 1932.
She strove to improve management, stabilize finances, recruit youths and address tough issues, from affirmative action to energy policy. In 1978, she said the N.A.A.C.P. would not celebrate July 4 until blacks were truly free.
A particularly thorny issue during her tenure was the long-simmering name dispute between the N.A.A.C.P. and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. The defense fund split from the N.A.A.C.P. in 1957, but kept the NAACP name. The former parent wanted to end the confusion or somehow reunite the groups.
Under the aggressive leadership of Mrs. Wilson, the original N.A.A.C.P. sued and won, then lost on appeal.
Then, in 1983, Mrs. Wilson abruptly fired the N.A.A.C.P.’s executive director, Benjamin L. Hooks, whom she accused of mismanagement. The board, which she had not consulted, quickly rehired him and dismissed her.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Mrs. Wilson said she was a victim of discrimination.
“We have all had our moments of truth about sexism, about male chauvinism, and about disrespect and disregard for women as equals,” she said.
“What has happened to me,” she said, “has been my moment of truth.”
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The N.A.A.C.P. announced her death.
Mrs. Wilson came from a prominent middle-class black family deeply committed to civil rights and the N.A.A.C.P. and once said she was “born and raised” in the organization. She was the first woman to be president of the 6,000-member branch of the N.A.A.C.P. in her native St. Louis and became chairwoman of the national group in 1975, holding the post for nine years.
The first woman to hold the position was Mary White Ovington, a white woman and a founder, who led the group from 1917 to 1932.
She strove to improve management, stabilize finances, recruit youths and address tough issues, from affirmative action to energy policy. In 1978, she said the N.A.A.C.P. would not celebrate July 4 until blacks were truly free.
A particularly thorny issue during her tenure was the long-simmering name dispute between the N.A.A.C.P. and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. The defense fund split from the N.A.A.C.P. in 1957, but kept the NAACP name. The former parent wanted to end the confusion or somehow reunite the groups.
Under the aggressive leadership of Mrs. Wilson, the original N.A.A.C.P. sued and won, then lost on appeal.
Then, in 1983, Mrs. Wilson abruptly fired the N.A.A.C.P.’s executive director, Benjamin L. Hooks, whom she accused of mismanagement. The board, which she had not consulted, quickly rehired him and dismissed her.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Mrs. Wilson said she was a victim of discrimination.
“We have all had our moments of truth about sexism, about male chauvinism, and about disrespect and disregard for women as equals,” she said.
“What has happened to me,” she said, “has been my moment of truth.”