National Black Feminist Organization facts for kids

The National Black Feminist Organization (NBFO) was started in 1973. This group worked to help black women in America. They wanted to solve problems that black women faced. Important founding members included Florynce Kennedy, Michele Wallace, Faith Ringgold, Doris Wright, and Margaret Sloan-Hunter. They used an office from another group, the New York City chapter of the National Organization for Women. Michele Wallace said that Doris Wright called the first meeting. They met to talk about black women and their role in the Feminist Movement.

History of the NBFO

The National Black Feminist Organization (NBFO) was one of the first groups in the Black feminist movement. Its goals were similar to those of the Combahee River Collective. Some of the same women were involved in both groups. In 1973, the NBFO stated its main purpose. They said they formed "to address ourselves to the particular and specific needs of the larger, but almost cast-aside half of the black race in America, the black woman." This meant they wanted to focus on the special needs of black women.

Many NBFO members, like Florynce Kennedy, came from other movements. These included the civil rights movement, the Black Power movement, and the feminist movement. However, many members felt they didn't fully fit in these groups. They felt that white women in the feminist movement sometimes had unfair ideas about race. They also felt that their leadership was often ignored in the civil rights movement. Women were sometimes expected to let men lead and were given less important jobs.

Brenda Eichelberger, who helped start the Chicago chapter, shared her feelings. She said she didn't know other black women felt the same way about feminism. She had white friends who were feminists, but they didn't face the added challenge of racism. Many black groups at the time were very focused on men. She felt she couldn't fully connect with any group. But she knew she needed to find at least one other woman who felt like her.

The NBFO focused on how different types of unfair treatment were connected. These included racism (unfair treatment because of race) and sexism (unfair treatment because of gender). They also looked at classism (unfair treatment based on social class). The women chose Margaret Sloan-Hunter as their leader. She was an early editor for Ms. Magazine and worked with Gloria Steinem. In 1974, the group was on the TV show Woman Alive!. They talked about their first big meeting. After this, they started new chapters in cities like Chicago and New York.

Key Events and Milestones

First Conference in New York City

From November 30th to December 2nd, 1973, the NBFO held its first big meeting. About 400 women attended this conference in New York City. This event was very important for the organization. During this conference, ten new chapters were created. These chapters helped the NBFO grow and spread its message across the United States. This made the NBFO a more successful and widespread group.

Boston Chapter Forms Combahee River Collective

In 1974, the Boston chapter of the NBFO decided to form its own group. They created the Combahee River Collective (CRC). The CRC wanted to work in a smaller group. In their 1977 statement, the CRC explained their reasons. They said they had "serious disagreements with NBFO's bourgeois-feminist stance." This meant they felt the NBFO was too focused on middle-class women's issues. They also felt the NBFO didn't have a clear political plan.

What Happened Next

The National Black Feminist Organization stopped working on a national level in 1975. The last local chapter closed in 1980. Historian Alice Echols wrote about why the group ended. She quoted E. Frances White, who said the NBFO might have ended because it couldn't agree on what Black feminism truly meant.

After the NBFO stopped in 1975, Brenda Eichelberger continued her work. She started the National Alliance of Black Feminists in 1976. This new group continued the goals of the Chicago NBFO chapter. It aimed to achieve full equality for black women. This new organization also welcomed many different kinds of members. It grew quickly and had many members. The National Alliance of Black Feminists continued its work until 1997.

See also

In Spanish: National Black Feminist Organization para niños

• Black feminism
• Womanism
• second-wave feminism