Roy Wilkins was born in St. Louis in 1901 and grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, after losing

Roy Wilkins was born in St. Louis in 1901 and grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, after losing his mother to tuberculosis at the young age of four. He became one of the most influential voices in our nation’s history.

For over twenty years, Wilkins served as the Executive Secretary and later as Executive Director of the NAACP, steering the organization through the perilous times of the Civil Rights Movement. He played a key role in organizing the 1963 March on Washington and marched from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. He repeatedly testified before Congress, ensuring that lawmakers could not turn a blind eye to the issues at hand. He did not simply lead from an office; in 1963, Wilkins was arrested for spearheading a picketing protest, standing side by side with those he fought for.

His efforts contributed to the passage of Brown v. Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 1969, President Lyndon Johnson honored him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. They referred to him as Mr. Civil Rights. Today, we reflect on the reasons why.