Lester Granger

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Lester Blackwell Granger (b. September 16, 1896 d. 1976) was an African American civic leader who organized the Los Angeles, California chapter of the National Urban League (NUL).

Granger was born Newport News, Virginia as one of six sons whose mother was a teacher and father was a doctor from Barbados.

He grew up in Newark, New Jersey and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1918.

He served in the U.S. Army during World War I, he worked briefly for the Newark chapter of the National Urban League.

In 1922, Granger was an extension worker with the New Jersey state vocational school for African American youth in Bordentown.

In 1930, he also organized the Los Angeles chapter of the NUL and in 1934 led the organization efforts to promote trade unionism among African American workers and challenge racism by employers and labor organizations.

In 1940, Granger became the NUL’s assistant executive secretary in charge of industrial relations. He worked to integrate the racist trade unions,

In 1941, he led the NUL's effort to support the March on Washington proposed by A. Phillip Randolph, Bayard Rustin and A. J. Muste to protest racial discrimination in defense work and the Armed Forces.

During the African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968), his insistance that the NUL continue its strategy of “education and persuasion,” prevailed

He remained a leading figure over the years in social work, and in 1952, served as president of the National Conference of Social Work.

Granger retired from the NUL in 1961 and joined the faculty of Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Granger was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.

Granger died in Alexandria, Louisiana in January 1976.

[edit] Legacy

The Tucker Foundation annually presents The Lester Granger ’18 Award to a Dartmouth College graduate whose commitment to public service, social activism or nonprofit professions has been exemplary.[1]