National Congress of Black Women

National Congress of Black Women
Name	National Congress of Black Women
Formation	1984
Founder	Shirley Chisholm
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States
Leader title	President

National Congress of Black Women — The National Congress of Black Women (NCBW) is an American nonprofit organization founded to advance the interests of African American women and girls through leadership development, advocacy, and public education. The organization emerged amid the political careers of figures such as Shirley Chisholm, Coretta Scott King, Barbara Jordan, Eunice Kennedy Shriver and the activist milieu shaped by movements including the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power movement, the National Organization for Women and the Congressional Black Caucus. NCBW has worked with institutions such as the National Archives and Records Administration, the Library of Congress, the United Nations and federal entities in Washington, D.C. to elevate Black women's voices in policy, culture, and leadership.

History

NCBW was organized in 1984 following the retirement of congresswoman Shirley Chisholm from the U.S. House of Representatives and built on networks connected to leaders like Coretta Scott King, Dorothy Height, Fannie Lou Hamer, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Septima Poinsette Clark. Early chapters aligned with regional activists from cities such as New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston, collaborating with civic groups including the NAACP, the National Urban League, the Black Women's Political Action Committee, and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. NCBW's formation paralleled national campaigns and events such as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the broader policy debates in the United States Congress and state legislatures.

Mission and Activities

NCBW's mission emphasizes leadership training, historical preservation, civic engagement, and public policy advocacy, engaging constituencies connected to institutions like the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Women's History Museum, and historically Black colleges and universities such as Howard University, Spelman College, and Tuskegee University. Activities include seminars featuring speakers from the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, the Supreme Court of the United States bench, and cultural dialogues with artists from venues like the Kennedy Center and curators from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Leadership and Membership

Leadership has included public figures, elected officials, and civic leaders with ties to personalities like Eleanor Holmes Norton, Maxine Waters, Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, Shirley Chisholm's contemporaries, and advocates such as Angela Davis, June Jordan, Audre Lorde, and bell hooks. Membership comprises community organizers, educators, scholars from institutions such as Columbia University, Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, legal professionals from the American Bar Association, veterans of nonprofit groups like Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and delegates connected to conventions such as the Democratic National Convention and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation conferences.

Programs and Initiatives

NCBW initiatives have included leadership academies modeled after programs like the Eisenhower Fellowship, youth mentorship inspired by organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, scholarship funds affiliated with foundations like the Ford Foundation and the Gates Foundation, and cultural preservation projects in partnership with archives like the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Programs have connected to public health campaigns referencing work by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and advocacy on issues highlighted by groups such as the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Black Women's Health Imperative, and the Sistersong Reproductive Justice Collective.

Advocacy and Policy Impact

NCBW has engaged in policy dialogues on voting rights, economic opportunity, maternal health, criminal justice reform, and educational equity alongside coalitions including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Brennan Center for Justice, and the Sentencing Project. The organization has submitted testimony to congressional committees, participated in policy briefings on Capitol Hill, and collaborated with agencies such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to influence legislation, regulations, and public programs.

Partnerships and Affiliations

NCBW has partnered with a wide range of civic, academic, and cultural institutions: civil rights organizations like the National Council of Negro Women, faith-based networks including the National Baptist Convention, philanthropic organizations such as the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, academic partners like Howard University School of Law and Clark Atlanta University, and international partners connected to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the African Union. Collaboration extends to media outlets and cultural institutions such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, BET, and festivals like the Hampton Jazz Festival.

Category:African American women's organizations Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.