Urban League of Rhode Island collection (SC017)

Historical note

The Urban League of Rhode Island Collection is a unique body of materials. Its files span the period 1938 through 1970. Begun almost as a one-man operation, the League developed into a multifaceted operation by the late 1960s. Just as the civil rights movement advanced slowly nationally, the influence of the League grew at a gradual pace in the Providence community.

The Collection tells the story of the League's early trials and tribulations, programs, and successes and failures. It also chronicles the story of the National Urban League through the eyes of a local affiliate. And, lastly, the Collection is largely the story of one man, James N. Williams, the first director, who served for thirty years in Providence and participated in the triumphs in the battle for racial equality in this nation.