NCBw History
National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc.
In the winter of 1970 in New York City, 24 Black women, led by visionary Edna Beach, began meeting in their homes to assess the problems and opportunities left behind in the wake of the turbulent 1960s. As a result of their meetings, they formed the Coalition of 100 Black Women. For the rest of the 1970s, they slowly but persistently worked to master root causes of issues that affected their families, their communities and themselves. They boldly began to reach out to other Black women in common cause, and eventually, mobilized their emerging stature as a visible force of influence promoting gender and racial equity. The National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW) was launched on October 24, 1981, with representatives from 14 states and the District of Columbia, and selected Jewell Jackson McCabe as its first national president. They responded to the New York Coalition’s nationwide call to develop a leadership forum for professional Black women from the public and private sectors. That call resulted in a network of Black women who joined together to meet the personal and professional needs of the contemporary Black woman, the needs of her community, and her access to mainstream America.
Today, the national movement has garnered over 6000 members over the years throughout 62 chapters representing 27 states. Most NCBW members have completed college and hold a professional position. In the communities across America, NCBW lays claim to physicians, dentists, lawyers, judges, corporate executives, media personalities, educators, entrepreneurs, and an array of other skilled professionals from the public and private sectors. This wealth of resource talent is necessary not only for the achievement of the programmatic aims of the organization but also for effective interface with other groups in our society. NCBW consists of thousands of progressive women of African descent whose commitment to gender equity and socioeconomic advancement drives meaningful change to benefit women of color. To meet the diverse needs of its members, NCBW implements programs that…
-
Provide an effective network among Black women,
-
Establish links between NCBW and the corporate and political sectors,
-
Enable Black women to be a visible force in the socioeconomic arena,
-
Meet the career needs of these women and facilitate their access to mainstream America,
-
Use the tools of role modeling and mentoring to provide meaningful guidance to young women, and
-
Recognize the historic and current achievements of Black women.
