A life member of the NAACP, Brown served as local NAACP chapter president from 1953 to 1960. During his tenure the local membership increased from 100 to 1,000 persons. Locally, Brown focused on desegregation of public facilities and public education.
Using his persuasive tactics, he convinced the City of Charleston to allow African American high schools to use Johnson Hagood Stadium in 1959.
