Local chapter of civil rights group celebrates 100 years

The battles for social and racial justice have ranged from housing rights to fair employment to police accountability. The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) in Seattle is celebrating its 100th anniversary and three of its members have witnessed the struggles for more than half those years.

At age 81, Lacy Steele still gets to the office a few days each week to answer the phone, even though he’s achieved the lofty status of President Emeritus of the civil rights organization’s local office. He was president of the chapter from 1973-1999.

The anniversary prompts him to think about progress over his 50-plus years volunteering for the organization. Steele was on the front lines of protest in the 1980s over police use of a controversial type of restraint.

“We had a few African Americans who were killed by law enforcement using a choke hold, even in the King County Jail. And I served on a committee of advisers and after that committee gave its findings, to my knowledge there has not been an African American who had died from a choke hold in King County, so I consider that an important thing,” said Steele.

For all the progress in race relations, Steele is bemused that he could still frighten a little old white lady out of an elevator with his mere presence, an experience he had recently at a local hospital.

The organization has fought important campaigns against discrimination in hiring and housing. But Steele likes to promote education and a program of academic and cultural Olympics for African American kids in grades 9 through 12.

“It’s a program put together to reward youngsters when they excel academically. We’d be better off if we spent more time focused on the vast majority of youngsters that do good as opposed to those in trouble,” said Steele.

Keeping the NAACP vibrant depends on recruiting young activists.

“Usually after they reach 25 and go away to college, we lose them and we’re trying to get those people back. We still need more help,” said Steele.

On Saturday, during its 100th birthday celebration, the NAACP honored Steele and two others, retired Judge Donald Haley and retired Judge Charles V. Johnson, for more than 50 years each of continuous service to the Seattle-King County NAACP.

“I feel honored that I’m going to get some of my flowers,” said Steele.

People mention to him all the time about the significance of the U.S. electing its first black president. But Steele said the organization still has a lot of work to do.

“I wish some day that the NAACP was not necessary, where people would judge people just for being people, but I don’t think I’ll see that in my lifetime,” said Steele. The Bellevue resident was the first African American to manage in the aerospace division during a 38-year career at Boeing.