Dr. J. E. T. Camper interview

Description

Dr. John Emory Touissant Camper (1894-1997) was a Maryland physician, veteran, and civil rights activist who devoted his career to seeking racial justice and equality. He was an instrumental leader of the Baltimore Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and other civil rights organizations such as the Citizens Committee for Justice and the Baltimore Committee on Non-Segregation. In this oral history interview, Camper recounts his experience organizing picketing protests on Pennsylvania Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland and working with freedom fighter Lillie May Carroll Jackson on efforts to confront discriminatory practices and support African American voting registration. He discusses his part in organizing the 1942 March on Annapolis, which was the first mass demonstration for civil rights at the state capital. Additionally, Camper provides insight into the atmosphere within the NAACP and the tension that existed between the NAACP and the Urban League.