Hooks to Retire at Year’s End as Head of NAACP
Benjamin L. Hooks said Saturday he plans to retire at the end of the year after 15 years as executive director of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People.
Hooks, 67, made the announcement at a meeting of the NAACP’s national board of directors. He received a three-minute standing ovation, according to Jim Williams, chief spokesman for the organization.
“I think it was a surprise, although they knew that he’d been talking about planning to leave,” Williams said.
He said Hooks’ health was not a factor in the decision.
Hooks took over as executive director and chief operating officer of the nation’s oldest civil rights organization in 1977, succeeding Roy Wilkins.
“I have enjoyed immensely the privilege of serving you through one of the most tortuous periods in our people’s history,” Hooks told the board in a statement, copies of which were sent to news organizations.
“We have kept the organization alive and growing against seemingly insurmountable odds. We have maintained the integrity of this organization and kept our name out front and on the minds of those who would turn back the clock.”
Hooks planned a news conference in Washington this week to discuss his decision, Williams said.
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