Born near Clarksdale, Aaron Henry was an American civil rights leader, politician, and head of the Mississippi branch of the NAACP. He was one of the founders of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which tried to seat their delegation at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. As a leader of the NAACP, Henry participated in virtually every aspect of the struggle for equality in Mississippi. While serving as a voice of moderation and an advocate of racial conciliation, in 1961, he joined the Freedom Rides to protest segregation in interstate bus facilities. During the Freedom Summer of 1964, Henry served as Chairperson of the Council of Federated Organizations. Henry was elected to the National Board of Directors of the NAACP in 1965 and the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1982, where he served until 1996. Henry's former drug store in downtown Clarksdale became the site of his campaign headquarters and NAACP office.
