Lester Blackwell Granger (September 16, 1896 – January 1976) was an African American civic leader who organized the
Los Angeles chapter of the
National Urban League (NUL) and headed the league from 1941 to 1961.
Early life
Granger was born in
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...
and was one of six sons. His mother was a teacher, and his father was a doctor from
Barbados. He grew up in
Newark, New Jersey, and graduated from
Dartmouth College in 1918. He was a member of the
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved int ...
fraternity.
He served in the US Army during World War I and worked briefly for the Newark chapter of the National Urban League.
Career
In 1922, Granger was an extension worker with the
Bordentown School,
New Jersey's state vocational school for African American youth, in
Bordentown.
In 1930, he organized the Los Angeles chapter of the
National Urban League (NUL). In 1934, he led the organization's efforts to promote trade unionism among African-American workers and challenge racism by employers and labor organizations.
In 1940, Granger became the NUL's assistant executive secretary in charge of industrial relations and continued to work to integrate
racist
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
trade unions.
In 1941, illness made the executive secretary of the NUL,
Eugene Kinckle Jones
Eugene Kinckle Jones (July 30, 1885 – January 11, 1954) was a leader of the National Urban League and one of the seven founders (''commonly referred to as Seven Jewels'') of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at Cornell University in 1906. Jones ...
, no longer able to carry out duties, and Granger was appointed as Jones' successor. During his first year as the leader of the NUL, Granger led its effort to support the March on Washington proposed by
A. Philip Randolph
Asa Philip Randolph (April 15, 1889 – May 16, 1979) was an American labor unionist and civil rights activist. In 1925, he organized and led the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first successful African-American led labor union. In ...
,
Bayard Rustin and
A. J. Muste to protest racial discrimination in defense work and the armed forces. In 1945, he began working with the
Department of Defense to desegregate the military, seeing first success with the Navy in February 1946. During the
Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, he insisted that the NUL continue its strategy of "education and persuasion," which the NUL continued to support. Granger retired from the NUL in 1961 and joined the faculty of
Dillard University, in
New Orleans.
Among many other activities, he remained a leading figure in social work over the years, serving as president of the National Conference of Social Work in 1952. He was the first American citizen to serve in this capacity.
Death and legacy
Granger died in January 1976 in
Alexandria, Louisiana.
The Tucker Foundation annually presents ''The Lester Granger 18 Award'' to a
Dartmouth College graduate whose commitment to public service, social activism or nonprofit professions has been exemplary.
Social Justice Awards
Dartmouth. Accessed 6 February 2016.
References
External links
*Th
Lester B. Granger Papers (1935-1961)
are held at the Library of Congress Manuscript Division as part of th
National Urban League Records
(1910-1960).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Granger, Lester
1896 births
1976 deaths
People from Newport News, Virginia
People from Los Angeles
Dartmouth College alumni
United States Army personnel of World War I
Dillard University faculty