Soon after that, he returned to Memphis to work with the NAACP. During the nineteen fifties, he helped organize non-violent sit-in protests and boycotts of segregated white businesses.

He and Martin Luther King both wanted to create social change through a combination of moral persuasion and legislation. Martin Luther King spoke about changing white people's hearts and changing the laws. But Benjamin Hooks placed more importance on legal activism. He served as the director of the NAACP for fifteen years.

And that’s IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. You can read and listen to our programs at voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Steve Ember.