"A Stand for Justice Gives Rise to Coatesville Area NAACP"

"A Stand for Justice Gives Rise to Coatesville Area NAACP". . , In 1938, a young black man was accused of raping a white girl. With the threat of a second lynching at stake, the black community rebuffed the allegations as they marched to the city jail with weapons in hand to ensure justice., Thereafter, an organizational meeting for the Coatesville Area Branch was held at the historical Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 671 S. First Avenue, South Coatesville. Whereas, Reverend Alonzo Baxter, Reverend Benjamin J. Kennedy, Sr., Reverend S.B. Randolph, Dr. Whittier C. Atkinson, and Mr. James Porter Bryant, Sr., journeyed to Lincoln University, seeking information on chartering a branch., On September 12, 1938, charter number 2257 was granted, carrying Mr. James McCullough, President, Mr. James Porter Bryant, Sr., Vice-President, Reverend Alonzo Dr. Baxter, Executive Secretary, Mrs. Margaret McDougald, Recording Secretary, Mrs. Minnie Culclasure and Mr. Robert Player., The Coatesville community is rooted in the vision of the NAACP and continues to stand toward a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race.