National Council of Colored People
The National Council of Colored People was established on July 6, 1853, during a significant convention in Rochester, New York, aimed at advancing the rights and social status of African Americans. This organization emerged from the earlier Negro Convention movement, which sought to address issues of racial inequality and promote the welfare of Black individuals. Key figures like Frederick Douglass and Richard Allen played pivotal roles in the discussions that led to its formation, focusing on educational initiatives and the potential establishment of an industrial school for African American youth.
The council faced numerous challenges throughout its existence, including debates over the exclusivity of educational institutions for Black students and general disagreements among its members. Despite these obstacles, efforts were made to create state councils that aligned with the national mission. However, conflicting views on issues such as emigration and the nature of African American education contributed to tensions within the group, leading to a decline in its influence. Ultimately, while the National Council of Colored People struggled in its national efforts, various state councils continued to pursue the cause of social equality for African Americans for several years afterward.
National Council of Colored People
SIGNIFICANCE: The National Council of Colored People was one of the first groups concerned with the advancement of African Americans and the cause of abolition.
On July 6, 1853, more than one hundred delegates from around the country assembled in Rochester, New York, for a three-day convention to form the National Council of Colored People. This organization was an outgrowth of the Negro Convention movement, which had begun during a meeting on September 20-24, 1830, in Philadelphia. Prominent Black activist Richard Allen formed the convention with the intention of improving the lives of African Americans by raising their social status through education and, possibly, emigration. The convention met many times in many cities, discussing plans for improvement, and the group thrived on the increasing solidarity among its members. At one of the convention meetings in Rochester, New York, the plan for the National Council of Colored People was adopted. The meeting in Rochester drew many prominent African American leaders, including Frederick Douglass, James McCune Smith, and James Pennington.
Formation of the Council
At the meeting in 1853, a constitution was drawn up for the new organization, and a president and several vice presidents were chosen. The group discussed the rampant racial oppression of the African American people. Members of both the convention and the newly formed National Council of Colored People believed that, in order to increase the rate of improvement of the social status of African Americans, it was necessary to create a new institution for the education of African American youth. The new institution would be an industrial school that concentrated on agriculture and the mechanical arts. On the second day of the convention, the council elected to withdraw the proposed school plan because of the exclusive nature of the school. In the final hours of the last day of the convention, the council endorsed two seminaries as places for the education of African Americans—McGrawville College and Allegheny City College.
On November 15, 1853, elections were held in several cities to elect delegates for the formation of new state councils that would act in accordance with the National Council of Colored People. The leading delegates would attend the national council meetings as well as their own state council meetings. The first meeting of the National Council of Colored People was held on November 23, 1853, in New York. At least one council member each from the states of New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Ohio was missing, but because of the great distance the other council members had traveled, the meeting continued. After proceeding with the meeting, one delegate from Ohio appeared and demanded that all prior proceedings be nullified. This caused great distress among the council members and created a somewhat hostile working environment, which contributed to the short life of the council. Despite the bleak beginnings of the national council, the state councils operated much more smoothly and with enthusiasm.
Disagreements Continue
In both the national and state councils, the idea of an African American school was revisited. Frederick Douglass defended the school plan unsuccessfully for two years. The country was experiencing an economic depression, which made it hard to fund the school. There also was still concern over the exclusive nature of an African American school. The idea of a separate African American school brought many emotions to the forefront. Integrationists were wary of accepting such a school plan because of the isolation of the school and its students, yet even they saw benefits in an all African American school. Emigrationists considered the proposal and were much more willing to begin work on construction. Amid much opposition, in October 1855, the convention elected to discontinue plans for the proposed school. The other committees set up by the First National Convention and their ambitious plans to assist African Americans in business pursuits and the creation of a library and museum seemed to have stopped on paper.
The second meeting of the National Council of Colored People was scheduled for May 24, 1854, in Cleveland, but it was postponed in order to accommodate more delegates. Eventually, only a few delegates were able to attend. Among the members attending, a debate developed over the recognition of Ohio at the national level, creating a deadlock. A suggestion was made to dissolve the organization, but after a close vote, the National Council of Colored People continued to operate. Ohio, however, withdrew its participation.
At the meeting of May 8, 1855, nearly all the delegates were from New York, as most others had declined to participate. The issue of an African American school again was discussed and once again defeated. Another issue was discussed for the first time—emigration to Canada. Although most delegates at the convention were willing to remain in the United States, they expressed trepidation on the matter of the United States Constitution and the issue of slavery. The issue of emigration was the last to be discussed before the close of the final meeting of the National Council of Colored People. The state councils continued to operate and pursue social equality for African Americans for a few years longer, with councils in some states surviving longer than others.
Bibliography
Bell, Howard Holman. A Survey of the Negro Convention Movement, 1830–1861. Arno, 1969.
Blassingame, John W., and John R. McKivigan, editors. Frederick Douglass Papers, vols. 2–4, Yale UP, 1991.
Harmer, H. J. P. Longman Companion to Slavery, Emancipation and Civil Rights. Routledge, 2014.
Hornsby, Alton, Jr. Chronology of African-American History. Gale, 1991.
Ploski, Harry A., and James Williams, editors. The Negro Almanac: A Reference Work on the African American. Gale, 1989.
"Proceedings of the Colored National Convention, Held in Rochester, July 6th, 7th, and 8th, 1853." Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/34008448. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
"Proceedings of the National Council of the Colored People, in New York, New York, on May 8, 9, 10, 1855." Frederick Douglass Papers Project, frederickdouglasspapersproject.com/s/digitaledition/item/8752. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.