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P.S. 136 Roy Wilkins

Photo by Yoichi R. Okamoto, White House Press Office (WHPO) via Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roy_Wilkins_at_the_White_House,_30_April,_1968.jpg

Roy Wilkins (1901-1981) was a Civil Rights activist and NAACP leader. In his early days, he became the editor of the Kansas City Call in 1923, a weekly newspaper serving the Black community of Kansas City, Missouri. He also helped organize the historic March on Washington in August 1963 and participated in the Selma-to-Montgomery marches in 1965 and the March Against Fear in Mississippi in 1966. Under Wilkins's direction, NAACP played a major role in many civil rights victories of the 1950s and 1960s, including Brown v. Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act, and the Voting Rights Act.

Sources:

Roy Wilkins, NAACP, Accessed February 26, 2023, https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/civil-rights-leaders/roy-wilkins

Brittanica, Roy Wilkins, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Roy-Wilkins

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In honor of Black History Month 2025, this collection spotlights individuals featured in the Queens Name Explorer whose names carry historical significance. From outspoken ministers to pioneering musicians to female leaders in public service, this small sampling provides a glimpse into the histories of Elmhurst, Corona, Flushing, St. Albans, Jamaica, Hollis, and Kew Garden Hills. This collection coincides with an exhibit running from January 30 to April 20, 2025 at Culture Lab LIC, 5-25 46th Avenue, Queens, NY 11101.