NAACP, SU mourns passing of past president Rupert Richardson

Nation Board of Directors member and President Emeritus Rupert F. Richardson of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People died Jan. 24 while decorating her new home with friends in Baton Rouge according to a press release by the organization.
Known for her elegance, grace and fanciful hats, Richardson was one of the longest serving national board members, was well respected and widely regarded as an expert on Robert’s Rules of Order and NAAC policy. She also chaired the NAACP Health Committee, a position she held since 1999.
“Rupert Richardson served the NAACP in many, many capacities; but she will be best remembered as a tireless crusader for justice in Louisiana,” said NAACP National Board of Directors Chairman Julian Bond.
Richardson’s passion was healthcare, in the late 1990s; she served for a time under then Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Bobby Jindal, the state’s current governor.
“This is a great loss spiritually and physically,” said NAACP Louisiana State Conference President Ernest L. Johnson.
Southern University where she earned her bachelors degree has held a memorial service for Richardson last Thursday in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.