Regional Council of Negro Leadership facts for kids

The Regional Council of Negro Leadership (RCNL) was an important group in Mississippi. It was started in 1951 by T. R. M. Howard. The RCNL worked to help African Americans gain civil rights, learn to help themselves, and own businesses.

The group wanted to guide people in their duties as citizens. This included things like education, registering to vote, paying taxes, and saving money. The RCNL aimed to reach many people by working with trusted leaders in business, education, and churches.

History of the RCNL

At first, the RCNL did not directly challenge the idea of "separate but equal" facilities. Instead, they focused on making sure that facilities for Black people were truly "equal." They often pointed out that poor schools were a big reason why many Black families moved away from the South.

Instead of demanding immediate integration, they asked for equal school years for both Black and white students. From the very beginning, the RCNL also promised to fight for full voting rights for all.

How the RCNL Was Organized

The RCNL had sixteen committees, each led by a respected person. These leaders came from business, education, churches, or other professions. These committees were the main part of the RCNL. They reported to an executive board and a board of directors, which T. R. M. Howard led.

The RCNL's rules said that any town in the Mississippi Delta with at least one thousand Black residents could have a representative. To get more people involved, the RCNL held its main meetings in different places each year.

Important Members of the RCNL

Many well-known people joined the RCNL. These included Aaron Henry, a pharmacist and NAACP officer from Clarksdale, Mississippi. Also, Amzie Moore, an NAACP activist and gas station owner from Cleveland, Mississippi, was a member. President Arenia Mallory of Saints Junior College in Lexington, Mississippi also joined. President J. H. White of Mississippi Vocational College (now Mississippi Valley State University) in Itta Bena, Mississippi was another key member.

For many, joining the RCNL was their first experience working for civil rights. It was also a place where they learned important skills. Unlike later groups, most RCNL leaders were businesspeople and professionals. Not many were from the clergy (church leaders).

Medgar Evers' Role

Perhaps the most famous member of the RCNL was Medgar Evers. After graduating from Alcorn State University in 1952, he moved to Mound Bayou, Mississippi. There, he worked selling insurance for T. R. M. Howard.

Evers quickly became the RCNL's program director. He helped organize a boycott against gas stations that did not have restrooms for Black people. As part of this effort, the RCNL handed out about twenty thousand bumper stickers. These stickers had the message: "Don’t Buy Gas Where You Can’t Use the Rest Room." Starting in 1953, the RCNL began to directly challenge the "separate but equal" rule and demanded that schools be integrated.

Large Meetings and Their Impact

The RCNL held annual meetings in Mound Bayou between 1952 and 1955. These meetings attracted huge crowds, sometimes ten thousand people or more. Famous speakers attended, such as Rep. William L. Dawson from Chicago and Rep. Charles Diggs from Michigan. Alderman Archibald J. Carey Jr. of Chicago and NAACP lawyer Thurgood Marshall also spoke.

Myrlie Evers (later Myrlie Evers-Williams), Medgar Evers' wife, described these events. She said they were like "a huge all-day camp meeting." They were a mix of a pep rally, an old-time revival, and a Sunday church picnic. The conferences also had discussions and workshops on voting rights, owning businesses, and other important topics. Attending these meetings changed the lives of many younger Black leaders, including Fannie Lou Hamer.

RCNL's Role in the Emmett Till Case

In 1955, RCNL leaders, including T. R. M. Howard and Amzie Moore, played important roles in finding evidence for the Emmett Till case. During the trial, Mamie Till Bradley, Emmett's mother, and key witnesses like Willie Reed stayed at Howard's home in Mound Bayou. Black reporters also stayed there.

Dr. Howard spoke out about the violence against Black people. He said that the FBI "can’t seem to solve a crime where a Negro is involved." This statement made FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover angry. Hoover said the FBI had helped stop lynchings in the South and broken up the Ku Klux Klan in some areas.

Decline of the RCNL

After T. R. M. Howard left Mississippi in early 1956, the RCNL started to become less active. However, it still attracted many important civil rights leaders from the region, such as Amzie Moore and Aaron Henry. The RCNL was still operating in 1962. But by then, other groups like the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) were becoming more prominent.