Brief History of KSU-NAACP: as told by Robin Wright, KSU-NAACP President

The Kent State University chapter of NAACP was founded in 1997 by Richard Montgomery and other students who felt that there needed to be change at an institutionalized level in order to ensure equal treatment of African American and minority students on Kent State’s campus. Though there were already various student

organizations on campus in 1997 fighting for the social and educational equality of African American students, Mr. Montgomery and his constituents understood the potential impact that could be made by a National organization as prominent as the NAACP—an organization that has the experience and resources needed to fight

against the injustices that are continuing to occur on Kent State’s campus and in the surrounding communities.

The first attempt to create a chapter of NAACP here at Kent State University was in 1954 with the help of Dr. Oscar Ritchie, the first African American to hold at faculty position at a state institution in Ohio, also the man which Oscar Ritchie Hall, the black cultural center here on campus is named after. The chapter at the time was denied by the then President, George Bowman, who stated that, “NAACP was a radical organization” and therefore was not allowed to exist on Kent State’s campus. 1954 was a time period in Kent State’s history in which there still existed segregated housing on campus for African Americans and a period in which a force such as NAACP was needed more than ever.

Since its official founding on this campus, KSU-NAACP have worked side by side with other black and civil rights organizations on and off campus to ensure equal educational opportunity for minority students on this campus and in the surrounding communities. From protesting along side of Black United Students and other black organizations to force the university to acknowledge the need to renovate Oscar Ritchie Hall, to informing students of national issues that effect our communities, partaking in community service, the KSU-NAACP continues to fight to eradicate discrimination and better the living and educational situation for students of color at Kent State University.

I invite all of you to join our fight for social, economic, political, and educational equality for all students here at Kent State University. Help us as we strive to eliminate discrimination and develop within ourselves and those we serve effective leadership as we are tomorrow’s leaders! In order to accomplish these goals, we need you on our side. Join KSU-NAACP today, and start a period of personal growth that will carry on for a lifetime.

-Robin Wright
2009-2010 President