The Crisis Magazine: A Record of the Darker People—Fact or Fiction?

Founded by Du Bois, the NAACP’s The Crisis magazine was designed to be and remains a “record of the darker races.”  In the early 20^th century there was a dearth of national publications in which African Americans had creative voice and could read about national and international advances in their communities.  The Crisis filled that void by chronicling the advancement of people of African descent despite the global scourge of white supremacy as colonialism and Jim Crow.  This presentation highlights the significance of The Crisis as an invaluable primary resource for examining the record of the NAACP, African American civic elite and leadership, and other political and civil rights advancements.  Furthermore, an investigation of J.R. Wilson’s work, Origins: The Houston NAACP, 1915-1918 will examine the critical role of The Crisis in affirming or repudiating chronologies in the historical record.