  benjamin lawson hooks (january 31, 1925 â april 15, 2010) was an american civil rights leader. a baptist minister and practicing attorney, he served as executive director of the national association for the advancement of colored people (naacp) from 1977 to 1992, and throughout his career was a vocal campaigner for civil rights in the united states.obituary new york times, april 16, 2010; page a19.obituary los angeles times, april 16, 2010; page aa5.obituary washington post, april 16, 2010. ==early life== benjamin hooks was born in memphis, tennessee. growing up on south lauderdale and vance, he was the fifth of seven children born to robert b. and bessie white hooks. his father was a photographer and owned a photography studio with his brother henry, known at the time as hooks brothers, and the family was fairly comfortable by the standards of black people for the day. still, he recalls that he had to wear hand-me-down clothes and that his mother had to be careful to make the dollars stretch to feed and care for the family. young benjaminâs paternal grandmother, julia britton hooks (1852&ndash;1942), graduated from berea college in kentucky in 1874 and was only the second american black woman to graduate from college. she was a musical prodigy who began playing piano publicly at age five, and at age 18 joined bereaâs faculty, teaching instrumental music 1870&ndash;72. her sister, dr. mary e. britton, also attended berea, and became a physician in lexington, kentucky. with such a family legacy, young benjamin was inspired to study hard and prepare himself for college. in his youth, he felt a calling to the christian ministry. his father, however, did not approve and discouraged benjamin from such a calling. benjamin was a member of the omega psi phi fraternity. ==education== hooks enrolled in lemoyne-owen college, in memphis, tennessee. there he undertook a pre-law course of study 1941&ndash;43. in his college years he became more acutely aware that he was one of a large number of americans who were required to use segregated lunch counters, water fountains, and restrooms. âi wish i could tell you every time i was on the highway and couldnât use a restroom," he would later recall. "my bladder is messed up because of that. stomach is messed up from eating cold sandwiches.â after graduating in 1944 from howard university, he joined the army and had the job of guarding italian prisoners of war. he found it humiliating that the prisoners were allowed to eat in restaurants from which he was barred. he was discharged f
1925_births 2010_deaths 20th-century_African-American_activists African-Americans\'_civil_rights_activists DePaul_University_College_of_Law_alumni Howard_University_alumni LeMoyneaOwen_College_alumni National_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Colored_People_activists Spingarn_Medal_winners