In 1986, McMillan orchestrated the relocation of the national NAACP headquarters from New York City to Baltimore. She stepped down from the presidency in1990, but continued to steer the NAACP through crises and served as a community elder in Baltimore. She died on Oct. 24, 2006, at age 102. /end

Show Post

McMillan was elected President of the Baltimore Branch of the NAACP in 1969. In 1975, she led a fundraising drive that collected a record $150,000 to help save the national NAACP from bankruptcy. In 1984, she became the first female national president of the NAACP in its 75-year history. /9

Show Post

In 1953, McMillan became the first woman elected president of the Maryland State Colored Teachers’ Association. In 1954, she became the first Black teacher appointed to a white high school in Maryland following the Brown v. Board decision. She retired from Baltimore public schools in 1968. /8

Show Post

Working with Marshall, McMillan hand-picked plaintiffs and used her thesis data to power the NAACP’s county-by-county lawsuits that won pay equity for Black teachers in Maryland. McMillan also rose steadily through state NAACP leadership roles and lobbied for better resources for Black schools. /7

Show Post

McMillan crossed paths with Thurgood Marshall in 1935, when she decided to reactivate the Baltimore branch of the NAACP. The branch had gone dormant due to philosophical divides and loss of community trust. McMillan helped transform it from an elitist committee to a grassroots powerhouse. /6

Show Post