The role of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in the struggle for African American rights in the 1950s-1970s.

The article characterizes the activities of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) – one of the most important organizations that continues to advocate for the rights of people of color in the United States. The subject of the study is the work of the NAACP during the 1950s to the 1970s. The object is human rights activism as a form of fighting racial discrimination in the U.S. The research aims to analyze the legal strategy of the Association and characterize its main methods of operation. The civil rights movement was marked by a rise in the protest activity of African Americans, with active and extralegal forms of protest, such as rallies, strikes, and sit-ins, coming to the forefront in public discourse and later in historiography. Human rights work, meanwhile, took a back seat, although it was one of the key factors in achieving legal equality. The study is based on the historical-genetic method, which involves examining historical phenomena and processes in their development and identifying the causes of changes. This method was used to analyze the transformation of the legal status of African Americans and assess the role of the NAACP in this process. A structural method was also employed, which reveals persistent connections within the system. The scientific novelty of the research lies in analyzing human rights activities as a significant part of African American protest in the U.S., primarily carried out through the NAACP. This issue has not received adequate coverage in either foreign or domestic historiography, despite its role in the fight against discrimination. The study also demonstrates the connection between the work of the Association and the changing legal status of African Americans. The main conclusion is that the work of the NAACP played a crucial role in transforming the legal standing of African Americans. An important feature of the Association's activities was that it used existing legislation and lobbying tools to achieve changes. The strategy of filing collective lawsuits proved effective in the Anglo-Saxon legal system, as it created positive judicial precedents that became the basis for the evolution of the legal status of African Americans. Moreover, the work of the NAACP had a consolidating effect on the colored community in the United States, contributing to the growth of their civil consciousness.