National Council of Negro Women facts for kids
| Founded | 1935 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Mary McLeod Bethune |
| Location | |
| Website | https://ncnw.org/ |
The National Council of Negro Women, Inc. (NCNW) is a nonprofit organization started in 1935. Its main goal is to create more chances and improve life for African-American women, their families, and their communities. Mary McLeod Bethune, who founded the NCNW, wanted Black women to be more involved in community, government, business, and education.
The NCNW acts like a big "umbrella" group. It brings together many other African-American organizations. With 28 national partner groups and over 200 local chapters, the NCNW reaches almost four million women. They all work together to find peaceful ways to solve problems related to human well-being and rights. The main office is in Washington, D.C., on Pennsylvania Avenue. It's located between the White House and the U.S. Capitol.
Contents
History of the NCNW
The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) was created in 1935. Its purpose was to improve opportunities and the quality of life for African-American women and their families. Mary McLeod Bethune founded the NCNW on December 5, 1935. She was a well-known teacher and government advisor. Her parents had been born into slavery.
Bethune saw a need for a national group that could bring together the strength of African-American women. She wanted to help them become stronger leaders. Many groups working for civil rights were formed in the 1930s. But few were specifically for African-American women. Bethune wanted the NCNW to have a very strong foundation.
In its early years, the NCNW had a small team of volunteers. They worked out of Bethune's living room in Washington, D.C. Even with these humble beginnings, the NCNW gained important recognition. In 1945, when the United Nations was formed, the U.S. government allowed NCNW to be an observer. This was a big step for the organization.
For its first 40 years, the NCNW worked to achieve Bethune's vision. This vision was for a united women's movement. This movement would solve money, government, and social problems affecting women and their families. The NCNW's support was very important to other women's groups. Black women leaders were often not included in groups working for women's equality until the 1960s. This made Bethune's and the NCNW's involvement in women's issues very special.
Social Contributions of the NCNW
The NCNW has also created several cookbooks. Their first one, The Historical Cookbook of the American Negro, came out in 1958. Sue Bailey Thurman edited it. It took over ten years to create and raise money for. It included research and recipes from African American women all over the country.
The cookbook's goals matched the NCNW's goals. These included working for world peace and better integration. It also aimed to value African American heritage as a special cultural form. This cookbook is not organized by food type. Instead, it follows the calendar year. It starts with "Hopping John" for Emancipation Proclamation Day. It ends with "Hot Apple Punch" for Christmas.
One of its goals was to honor African American heroes and heroines. For example, George Washington Carver has his own recipe in the cookbook. It's for "Carver Commemoration Day." The cookbook also wanted to add African American achievements into the main story of U.S. history. This history often focused mostly on the accomplishments of white men. Sue Bailey Thurman wanted to show how history is found in the cultural products of family recipes.
The NCNW did not make another cookbook for over 30 years. In the 1990s, they released three more:
- The Black Family Reunion Cookbook: Recipes and Food Memories (1991)
- The Black Family Dinner Quilt Cookbook: Health Conscious Recipes and Food Memories (1993)
- Celebrating Our Mothers' Kitchens: Treasured Memories and Tested Recipes (1994)
These three cookbooks focused more on food itself. But they still included oral histories, personal narratives, and political commentary. They also featured popular culture, food, and food customs. All of these were mixed with cooking instructions. The recipes came from old family recipes of African American women. They also included documented historical recipes. Many recipes in these newer cookbooks start with a short story. This story might be about a loved family member. Or it might connect the food to a special event or place.
These cookbooks also wanted to show the power of food and happy family memories. They aimed to create a positive African American shared memory. This helped to fight against negative ideas about African American women. These ideas had been around since the time of slavery. The NCNW cookbooks help to build a strong African American identity around food.
Key Leaders of the NCNW
Mary McLeod Bethune's Leadership
From 1936 to 1942, Mary McLeod Bethune held several important roles at the same time. She was the president of Bethune-Cookman College. She founded this college in 1904 for Black students in Daytona, Florida. She was also the first president and founder of the NCNW. Plus, she was a special advisor to President Roosevelt. She served as the Director of the Division of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration. Her goal was to plan and carry out the dreams of African-American women. These women often felt unheard and mistreated.
Dorothy Height's Impact
When Bethune stepped down from leading the NCNW in 1949, Dorothy B. Ferebee and Vivian C. Mason took over. They continued the NCNW's focus on "Black first." After 1958, Dorothy Height became the leader. She helped the NCNW move in new directions and adapt to modern times.
Dorothy Height served as the NCNW's fourth president from 1957 to 1997. She helped women feel strong and capable throughout her life. She marched with Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement. She was also invited to President Obama's inauguration. President Obama spoke at her funeral, along with many others who admired her.
One of Height's main concerns was the poverty faced by many Black people. She started a program in Mississippi to provide better food and housing. She worked with the government to help Black women get houses built for their families. A key part of this program was a "pig bank." This bank would lend pigs to Black families. They would pay back the loan with one pig per family. By 1957, the original 55 "pig banks" had grown to more than 2,000 pigs. This program helped many poor families in the rural South. It made practical improvements in their daily lives and helped them escape poverty.
NCNW Programs and Initiatives
The NCNW works on many programs both in the U.S. and around the world.
National Programs
Some of the NCNW's recent programs in the United States include:
- The yearly Black Family Reunion Program Celebration.
- Educating the public and speaking up for African Americans about judges nominated to the Supreme Court and other courts.
- Programs to help young children learn to read and close the learning gap.
- A new project and book called African American Women As We Age. This aims to teach women about health and money.
- A national program to reduce obesity.
- Working with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to create Community Learning Centers. These centers help students who have not had many opportunities.
- Providing technical help to eight Youth Opportunity Centers in Washington, DC.
International Programs
Some of the NCNW's recent activities around the world include:
- Keeping its special status at the United Nations. This allows them to speak for African-American women globally.
- Partnering with women's groups in Benin to offer technology, reading, small loans (microcredit), and economic empowerment programs.
- Connecting young people in Uganda, North Africa, and the U.S. through a three-nation educational exchange.
- Developing a small business incubator in Senegal.
- Helping to start a large microcredit program in Eritrea. This program gives small business loans and training to over 500 women.
The NCNW works with partners in 34 states. It acts as an umbrella group for 39 national and local advocacy groups for women of African descent. These groups are both in the U.S. and abroad. The council also runs four research and policy centers. These centers work to find the best ways to meet the health, education, and money needs of African-American women.
National Black Family Reunion
The NCNW organizes the National Black Family Reunion. This is a two-day cultural event. It celebrates the lasting strengths and traditional values of African-American families.
Past Leaders of NCNW
- Mary McLeod Bethune (1935–1949)
- Dorothy Boulding Ferebee (1949–1953)
- Vivian Carter Mason (1953–1957)
- Dorothy Height (1957–1997)
- Barbara L. Shaw (2010–2012)
- Ingrid Saunders Jones (2012–2018)
- Johnnetta B. Cole (2018–2022)
- Dr. Thelma T. Daley (2022–2023)
Current National President & CEO
- Rev. Shavon L. Arline-Bradley (2023–present)
See also
- Africana womanism
- List of women's organizations
