Royal Freeman Nash facts for kids

Royal Freeman Nash was an important person who worked for the NAACP. He was the secretary-treasurer of this group from February 15, 1916, to September 1, 1917. The NAACP is a well-known organization that works to make sure all people have equal rights.

Who Was Royal Freeman Nash?

Royal Freeman Nash was a white author and a social worker. He led the NAACP branch in North Carolina. He played a key role in the early days of the NAACP, helping them fight for justice and equality.

Early Work with the NAACP

Before he became the main secretary, Nash investigated some serious events. He looked into fires in Cherokee County, Georgia, that the NAACP thought might have been set on purpose against Black people. His investigation in 1916 also reported on attacks against Black people in Forsyth County, Georgia.

Nash officially started his job as secretary-treasurer in February 1916. Around that time, a wealthy American named Philip G. Peabody offered to give $10,000 to help stop lynching (a type of mob killing). Peabody wanted to see a clear plan from the NAACP on how they would use the money. This was a huge amount for the new NAACP. Nash quickly worked to create a detailed plan. He suggested a big campaign to share information and push for a national law against lynching. However, Peabody never gave the money.

Fighting for Justice

Nash was deeply involved in the NAACP's efforts to fight for justice. He focused on investigating unfair acts and making sure the public knew about them.

Investigating Unfairness

In 1916, Nash also investigated the Lynching of Anthony Crawford in North Carolina. His report about this event was printed in newspapers all over the country. Nash believed the NAACP needed to either hire a new lawyer or someone to focus on getting their message out. This led to some disagreements with other important NAACP members like Mary White Ovington and Oswald Garrison Villard. Soon after, a committee was formed to plan for 1917, and the NAACP hired its first field secretary, James Weldon Johnson.

Spreading the Word

After the terrible Lynching of Jesse Washington, Nash worked with Elisabeth Freeman to investigate. The day after the lynching, Nash contacted Freeman. He told her how to best investigate, asking her to collect lots of information. This included talking to local people, gathering legal evidence, and finding images. Nash also shared his own investigation report from Georgia with Freeman. The NAACP wanted to make sure this lynching was widely known to help their efforts against such violence. Even though Nash and Freeman could not get the people responsible prosecuted, they were very successful in making the event public.

Leaving the NAACP

Royal Freeman Nash thought the NAACP's name was a bit long. He suggested changing it to honor white figures who helped end slavery in the US. Some names he suggested were "The [William Lloyd] Garrison Association" or "The [Abraham] Lincoln Association."

Nash left his role in May 1917 to join the military during World War I. He started training to become an officer. He first took a break from his job, but by September, he had to resign. This was partly because he spent so much time on the NAACP's Federal Aid Committee. Even after leaving, Nash stayed involved with the NAACP. He later said he felt bad about leaving the organization. In the army, he became a captain in the field artillery. He was transferred to the 167th Field Artillery Brigade, which was a group made up of Black soldiers.

What Historians Say

Historians August Meier and Elliott Rudwick have studied Nash's time as secretary. They concluded that he was "singularly ineffective" in that role.