Kelly Miller Alexander Sr. (August 18, 1915 – April 2, 1985) was chairman of the board of directors of the

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. ...

and a civil rights activist. He was born in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, to Zechariah and Louise Alexander. His father was the owner of the Alexander Funeral Home, the only black funeral home in Charlotte. He played football at Second Ward High School, becoming known as "Ship-wreck Kelly." Alexander studied at the

Tuskegee Institute Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature. The campus was de ...

in Alabama and Renouard College of Embalming in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

before returning to Charlotte to help run his father's business. His activism in the NAACP began in 1938 when he joined the Charlotte branch of the NAACP. In 1940 he took over leadership of the Charlotte branch, turning it into a powerful civil rights force within the city. In 1948 Alexander was elected president of the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP and began founding other chapters in the state of North Carolina. He would hold the post of President until 1984. Under his leadership, the NC Conference became the largest state conference in the country with over 120 branches. Alexander ran for the

Charlotte City Council The Charlotte City Council is the legislative body of the City of Charlotte and forms part of a council–manager system of government. The Council is made up of eleven members and the Mayor, all elected to two-year terms in odd-numbered years. ...

twice in the 1950s but was unsuccessful. As an activist in Charlotte he fought for the desegregation of restaurants and hotels in the area. He also supported the landmark

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

Case Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education that said busing could be used to integrate schools. In 1965 Alexander's home was one of four homes bombed by someone trying to stifle the civil rights movement in Charlotte. Alexander's brother Frederick Alexander's home was hit along with civil rights lawyer

Julius Chambers Julius Chambers, F.R.G.S., (November 21, 1850 – February 12, 1920) was an American author, editor, journalist, travel writer, and activist against psychiatric abuse. Life and works Julius Chambers was born in Bellefontaine, Ohio on November ...

and activist

Reginald Hawkins Reginald Armistice Hawkins (1923–2007) was an American civil rights activist and dentist. He was the first African-American to run for Governor of North Carolina. He fought to desegregate Charlotte schools and businesses. Early life Reginald H ...

. No one was injured from the explosion. In 1950, Alexander was elected to serve on the National NAACP Board of Directors. In 1976 he was elected vice chair. In 1983 the NAACP board asked Alexander to become the acting chairman after a disruptive dispute between chairman Margaret Wilson and executive director

Benjamin Hooks Benjamin Lawson Hooks (January 31, 1925 – April 15, 2010) was an American civil rights leader and government official. A Baptist minister and practicing attorney, he served as executive director of the National Association for the Advancemen ...

. Alexander accepted the chair and reorganized the NAACP. His work and leadership with the NAACP led him to be known as Mr. NAACP by his friends and colleagues. Alexander died on April 2, 1985, at the age of 69. He passed on his legacy of fighting for equality to his two sons, Kelly Alexander Jr who would become president of the NC Conference of the NAACP and Alfred Alexander who took over the family business.

References

Kelly M Alexander Sr. Papers
J Murrey Atkins Library, UNC Charlotte
Kelly M Alexander Digital Collection
J Murrey Atkins Library, UNC Charlotte
Letter from Julius Chambers to Kelly Alexander
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Kelly Sr. 1915 births 1985 deaths People from Charlotte, North Carolina NAACP activists Tuskegee University alumni Activists from North Carolina