Regional Council of Negro Leadership facts for kids
The Regional Council of Negro Leadership (RCNL) was an important group in Mississippi founded in 1951 by T. R. M. Howard. Its main goal was to help African Americans gain equal rights, become more independent, and start their own businesses. The RCNL wanted to guide Black people in their roles as citizens, focusing on education, voting, obeying laws, paying taxes, keeping their property, and saving money. Instead of starting with everyday people, the RCNL worked with respected Black leaders in business, education, and churches to reach many people.
The RCNL's Early Years
At first, the RCNL did not directly challenge the idea of "separate but equal." This was a system where Black and white people had separate facilities, like schools and restrooms. These were supposed to be equal, but often they were not. The RCNL focused on making sure that the "equal" part was actually true.
They often pointed out that poor schools for Black children were a big reason why many Black families moved from the South to the North. Instead of immediately asking for schools to be mixed, they asked for Black schools to have the same school year length as white schools. From the very beginning, the RCNL also promised to fight for all Black people to have the right to vote without unfair rules.
The RCNL was built on 16 committees, each led by a respected person in business, education, or the church. These committees reported to a main board led by T. R. M. Howard. The RCNL's rules said that any town in the Delta region with at least 1,000 Black residents could have a representative. To get more people involved, the RCNL held its main meetings in different places each year.
Who Joined the RCNL?
Many talented and respected people joined the RCNL. These included Aaron Henry, a pharmacist and NAACP leader from Clarksdale, Mississippi, and Amzie Moore, an NAACP activist from Cleveland, Mississippi. Other members included President Arenia Mallory of Saints Junior College and President J. H. White of Mississippi Vocational College (now Mississippi Valley State University). For many, the RCNL was their first experience in the fight for civil rights and a place to learn. Unlike later groups, most RCNL leaders were business owners and professionals, not as many were from the clergy.
Perhaps the most famous RCNL member was Medgar Evers. After graduating from Alcorn State University in 1952, he moved to Mound Bayou to work for T. R. M. Howard selling insurance. 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 20,000 bumper stickers that said, "Don’t Buy Gas Where You Can’t Use the Rest Room." Starting in 1953, the RCNL began to directly challenge "separate but equal" and asked for schools to be integrated.
Making a Difference
The RCNL held annual meetings in Mound Bayou between 1952 and 1955. These meetings attracted huge crowds of 10,000 people or more. Famous speakers included Rep. William L. Dawson from Chicago, Rep. Charles Diggs from Michigan, and NAACP lawyer Thurgood Marshall. Myrlie Evers, Medgar Evers' wife, described these events as "a huge all-day camp meeting: a combination of pep rally, old-time revival, and Sunday church picnic." The meetings also had discussions and workshops on voting rights, owning businesses, and other important topics. Attending these conferences was a life-changing experience for many young Black leaders, including Fannie Lou Hamer.
In 1955, RCNL leaders, including Howard and Amzie Moore, played key roles in finding evidence for the Emmett Till murder case. Emmett Till's mother, Mamie Till Bradley, and important witnesses stayed at Howard's home in Mound Bayou during the trial. Dr. Howard spoke out, saying that the FBI seemed to struggle to solve crimes when a Black person was involved. This statement made FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover upset.
The RCNL's Later Years
The RCNL started to decline after T. R. M. Howard left Mississippi in early 1956. However, it still included many important civil rights leaders from the state, like Amzie Moore and Aaron Henry. The RCNL was still active in 1962, but newer groups like the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) began to take a more prominent role in the civil rights movement.
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