HISTORY
The National Congress of Black Women, formerly the National Political Congress of Black Women , a 501(c)3 non-profit organization was founded by Dr. C. DeLores Tucker and the Honorable Shirley Chisholm (D-NY).
Shirley Chisholm was an educator, author, and politician. She became the first African American woman elected in Congress in 1968 and in 1972, became the first African American woman to make a serious bid to run for President of the United States. Dr. C. DeLores Tucker was the first African American woman to serve as Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth, and the first African-American woman to serve as secretary of a U.S. state government.
With political empowerment of African American women as the focus, NCBW's original twelve point purpose agenda was as follows:
A. Identify and conduct ourselves as inspirational leaders among African American women.
B. Encourage Black women to engage in non-partisan leadership activities in the educational, economic, social, and political arenas-the first of which is to encourage our members to register to vote and participate in the voting process.
C. Provide training and internships at the national, state, and local levels to enable members and young people to gain the knowledge required to understand, operate, and participate within the educational, economic, social, and political processes.
D. Increase the number of Black women in leadership positions in business, the professions, and the non-profit sector, as well as in appointive and elective offices at all levels of government.
E. Engage African American women in voter registration, political education, forums, and seminars to better project their concerns in the public arena.
F. Develop and advocate public policy positions, which advance the educational, social, economic, and political interests of African American women, their families, and communities.
G. Participate in the development of policies, platforms, and strategies of political parties that address the needs and aspirations of the African-American community; encourage the party appointment of Black women at all levels of the party structure.
H. Engage in research and fact-finding on critical issues uniquely affecting the quality of life of African American women and youth.
I. Sponsor youth leadership institutes to prepare young people to practice good citizenship and to assume leadership roles in public service.
J. Develop and conduct programs that address the educational and personal development crisis among African American youth, and that motivates and prepares them to appreciate their self-worth and chosen career paths.
K. Confront forces in the culture, economy, and community environment that threaten the physical, mental and moral well-being of African American youth, especially those most at risk.
L. Empower African American women to act as role models for the next generation of leaders.
In October 2005, Dr. E. Faye Willisms, DPA, D.Min, D.Th, Esq. was named President and CEO of the National Congress of Black Women.
Dr. E Faye Williams, Esq. is an Obama Administration Presidential Appointee (Commissioner -Presidential Scholars Commission)
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On Saturday, August 24, 2013, Dr. E. Faye Williams, National Chair, of the National Congress of Black Women (NCBW) joined the Reverend Al Sharpton and the National Action Network (NAN) at the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington where NCBW marched for jobs, women in leadership and freedom; to protect the liberties set forth in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the voting rights Act of 1965.
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On Friday, August 27, 2020, Dr. Williams again joined Rev. Al Sharpton, of the National Action Network, Martin Luther King, III and many of the Black Lives Matter Leaders' 57th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Civil Rights, Justice, and Equality. The March was in the wake of the continued killings of Black men and women by police throughout the country.
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Dr. Williams spearheaded the aggressive effort to gain the U.S. Senate Apology for Lynching and the historical milestone of enacting the H.R. 4510 Bill, otherwise known as the Sojourner Truth Memorial bill, into law. The National Congress of Black Women commissioned Artis Lane to create a bronze bust of abolitionist and women's rights advocate Sojourner Truth. The bust was unveiled on April 28, 2009 by First Lady Michelle Obama for permanent display in the Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor Centre. Among those present for the unveiling were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and then Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. The venerable multi-award winning actress, Cicely Tyson performed the historic 1851speech "Ain't I a Woman'.
