Shirley Porter served on the New Orleans Human Relations Commission. In that capacity, she was able to get the commission to involve itself in investigating allegations of police misconduct, a problem that the branch has been involved with since its inception. The branch also played an integral part in the effort to pass and implement the city's open accommodations ordinance and the removal of the Liberty Monument so-called from public view. Shirley Porter retired after having served nearly fifteen years. On January 1, 1995, Sheila Williams, a former member of the New Orleans NAACP Youth Council, became president. Williams previously served as State Youth President and later State Youth Advisor. She is a former member of the national board of directors, and has served as a trustee of the Special Contribution Fund. She has emphasized the unique strengths of the NAACP based on its glorious, but also the need for the association to remain current and relevant. Frystak, Shannon F. Our Minds on Freedom: Women and the Struggle for Black Equality in Louisiana, 1924-1967.
