RALEIGH, NC – The NAACP North Carolina State Conference joins the community in mourning the passing of Mary E. Perry, a towering figure in the struggle for civil rights, voting rights, and justice. President Perry dedicated more than four decades of her life to service as president of the NAACP Wendell-Wake County Branch and made history as the first African American to chair the Wake County Democratic Party.
From the earliest days of the civil rights movement through today’s continued fight for equity in education, healthcare, housing, and democracy, President Perry’s leadership reflected courage, conviction, and an unwavering commitment to justice. She endured threats during Jim Crow segregation as she challenged discrimination in Zebulon restaurants, stood on the frontlines of voting rights battles as a plaintiff against discriminatory voter ID laws, and worked tirelessly to empower new generations of activists through the NAACP Youth Council.
Her lifetime of service earned her recognition at every level, including the NAACP’s President of the Year Award, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, and numerous community service honors. She also served faithfully in her church, Pleasant Grove Baptist, where she was a leader for over 70 years.
“President Mary Perry was more than a leader, she was a force of nature whose courage and determination opened doors for countless others,” said Deborah Dicks Maxwell, President of the NAACP North Carolina State Conference. “She lived her values every day, inspiring all of us to speak truth to power and to never give up the fight for freedom, justice, and equality. Her passing is a profound loss to our organization and to the entire state of North Carolina.”
NAACP North Carolina State Conference extends its deepest condolences to President Perry’s family, friends, church, and the community she loved and served so faithfully. We honor her legacy by continuing the work to which she devoted her life: advancing justice and protecting the right to vote.