Liberty County Branch NAACP

Historic Dorchester Academy

Midway, Georgia

History

The Liberty County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Color People (NAACP) was organized when Mr. Ralph Waldo Quarterman organized Black citizens in 1952.  

The National required 100 adults to grant a charter. In 1953, after working for more than a year, Mr. Quarterman only had 96. Determined to move forward, he submitted a request with the names and fees of the 96, along with a request for an exception to the requirement of 100 adults. The request was honored and the charter was issued. Mr. Quarterman was elected the first president of the Liberty County Branch of the NAACP. He served from 1952 to 1959 and again from 1962-1964. Between presidency, Mr. Quarterman took a leave of absence and went to Liberia , West Africa to teach Liberians how to harvest timber.

 Mr. Ralph W. Quarterman was an extraordinary Civil Rights Leader businessman. No night was too dark, no hour was too late and no problem was too great for Mr. Quarterman to tackle. At his funeral, the late Dr. W. W. Law, a noted historian, civil rights giant, long time President of the Savannah Branch of the NAACP, and preservationist said “The tallest tree in the forest has fallen.”

 According to Dr. Law, the Rev. W. C. Shipman was the first card carrying member of the NAACP in Liberty County . Dr. Law informed us that Rev. Shipman traveled the roads of Liberty County , holding rallies, conducting voter registration drives and transporting citizens to the polls. In 1946 he was elected chairman of the Liberty County Citizens Council, an organization that registered and transported voters to the polls to vote. He was often referred to as a “preacher’s preacher, a man among men and a fearless trailblazer.” Rev. W. C. Shipman died in 1947.

 Education has been another concern of the Branch. In 1970, Branch President, Mr. Abraham L. Mullins, filed a lawsuit, Mullins vs. Liberty County Board of Education. This case was filed in United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, Savannah Office.  The action resulted in the integration of the Liberty County Public School system. Mr. Mullins served another two year term from 1989-1990. Mr. Mullins died in 2005 at the age of 89.

 To increase African American involvement in the political process, the Branch has supported voter registration through members serving as deputy registrars throughout the community. The effort has been heightened by the participation of concerned citizens, businesses and elected officials.

 The Liberty County Branch has been active in the civil rights arena through the years. In addition to voter registration drives, the branch conducts get out the vote campaigns, and host, through our Political Action Committee (PAC), nonpartisan candidate forums.

 The branch has been deeply involved in drawing and redrawing district lines for the school board, county commission and federal congressional districts. Informative national, state and local speakers and talents have also been featured.

 In 1998, Rev. J. C. Shipman, grandson of the late Rev. W. C. Shipman, ran for  president with a platform to increase the membership by one hundred  per cent and to make the branch more relevant. Both  have been achieved. President Shipman was the first fully paid individual regular member and is now the only individual fully paid Gold Life Member. He started, co-sponsored and hosted a fifteen minute weekly radio program, “The Voice of the NAACP” for five years.

 The branch recognizes that the youth are the future of not only the NAACP, and the world at large. The branch has assisted with the reorganizing and support of the youth chapter. Consequently, it has provided opportunities for them to develop through Youth Council and ACT-So.  Our mission also includes discouraging drug use and violence by youth and providing scholarships to youth who plan to continue their education.

 The Liberty County Branch seeks to remove barriers of racial discrimination through normal democratic processes, informing legislatures of the importance of enacting laws securing civil rights and  executive, statutory, administrative or inherent authority to end discrimination. The Branch administration is composed of Standing and Special Committees under the auspices of the State, Regional and National NAACP.

 When this National Organization was founded in 1909, (How It Began) the NAACP listed its goals as follows: to promote equality of rights and eradicate caste or racial prejudice among the citizens of the United States; to advance the interests of colored citizens, to secure for them impartial suffrage; and to increase their opportunities for securing justice in the courts, education for their children, and complete equality before the law.

 This remains our goal today. The branch continues to be a viable, positive and effective force in the community. We owe an immense debt of gratitude to our predecessors who kept the flame of freedom burning, and to those who continue to labor in the struggle to protect the civil rights of all humanity.

 Today, the Liberty County Branch continues to fight to achieve racial equality for all people in all facets of life. We are the voice of people who for,  far too long have been ignored. And with a membership roster of dedicated and supportive individuals and organizations, the Liberty County Branch NAACP will be heard loud and clear.

  In September 2006, when Rev. Shipman stepped down as President, Mr. Charles Frasier assumed the duties as Interim President until December 2006. Mr. Frasier was elected First Vice President in 2000 and continues to serve. During his term, his objective for the Branch was "to achieve justice, equality and human dignity for all people". He also served as Chairperson of Political Action Committee until 2007. He is a Life Member of the NAACP. 

The current President, Rev. Liston Singletary III was elected in November 2006 and installed on December 30, 2006 at the Midway Congregational Church, on the grounds of the Historic Dorchester Academy.  Rev. Singletary retired from the U.S. Army as a Chief Warrant Officer Three, after 24 years of dedicated service to our nation.  He currently teaches at Bryan County HS as a JROTC Instructor and Career Awareness Teacher. In his first year he was awarded "Coach of the Year" Honors.  He graduated “Cum Laude” from Armstrong Atlantic State University in May 2008, with a BS in Political Science with his Teachers Certification.  His civil rights service has spanned over 20 years culminating in his current position as President of the Liberty County Branch NAACP and Georgia State Conference NAACP Veteran Affairs Chairman.  His leadership has earned respect across the State, as well as locally. The Liberty County Omega Psi Phi fraternity awarded him “The Citizen of the Year Award” for 2007, and recently at the NAACP SE Region Civil Rights Conference, Singletary was awarded the “Megar Evers Award” for Civil Rights Leadership.  Rev. Singletary’s motto is “Though the Struggle Continues, Don’t worry about the Journey, Stay focused on the Destination.”

During his first year as president, Singletary unveiled a very challenging agenda.  He challenged the Branch to be more visible, vigilant and accountable. Some of Singletary's vision for the branch includes; providing suitable alternatives for our youth who are being incarcerated at an alarming rate, becoming more involved with our senior citizen population, establishing a website to enhance our ability to disseminate information, increasing our working membership and continuing the objectives of the NAACP Constitution. On March 5, 2007, the Liberty County Branch of the NAACP launched its first ever website, www.libertycountynaacp.org. The Branch met the many challenges and assisted in providing the community with two “State of the Community Forums”, “Political Action Forums,” moderated by Mrs. W. Renea’ Camper, Back-to-School rallies, visits to the Jesup Federal Prison, municipal and superior courts, School Board, and conducted numerous Voter Registration Drives. President Singletary’s embodiment of the “lead from the front” and “can do” spirit has energized the branch members to engage in meaningful service.  2008 was very eventful and exciting.  We started the year with hosting a community Black History Month Observance involving the youth of the community at Brewton Parker College.  In February the Branch members took part in the Community MLK Observance with our President serving as the Master of Ceremony and our Second Vice President, Rev. Alvin Jackson serving as President of the MLK Observance Committee. Later in the month, the branch hosted its first 5K Freedom Run/Walk in Riceboro, Georgia with numerous participants. The event culminated with a health tip session and Gold Medal Awards ceremony for the qualifying finishers of the run/walk event.  In the following months, the branch conducted several Voter Registration Drives and the President was given the privilege to represent the branch on a humanitarian visit to Ghana, Africa.  In June 2008, President Singletary went to Konongo Village in Ghana, Africa on a humanitarian medical mission, with the Goodness & Mercy Foundation in Savannah, GA.  Shortly after the Ghana trip, the branch hosted its 2008 Political Forum for the Primary Election.  The forum was extremely well attended and the candidates running for office challenged by the questions form NAACP members. Throughout the year, our Legal Redress team, headed by Mr. Eric Thomas, has fielded numerous complaints and concerns from the community on a variety of issues. The Branch’s never ending efforts to uphold the ideals and objectives of the National Headquarters is evident in every undertaking it embarks upon.

Additional Historical Facts, courtesy of DIA (the Dorchester Improvement Association)

1961

The DCC in cooperation with the Liberty County NAACP , the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) and the AMA (American Missionary Association) established Leadership Training Programs and Citizenship Schools at Dorchester Academy to train grass roots leaders from throughout the South. Notable civil rights leaders who attended the workshops include; Dorothy Cotton (consultant), Andrew Young (administrator), Ralph Abernathy, Wyatt Walker and Septima Clark (supervisor of teacher education).

1962

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other Civil Rights leaders held a retreat at the Dorchester Center where plans for the Birmingham, Alabama movement were developed and refined.

Contact: webmaster@libertycountynaacp.org
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