National Council of Negro Women.

The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) was founded by civil rights advocate Mary

McLeod Bethune in 1935 to address a lack of coordination and solidarity among black women's groups. The NCNW,the first black "organization of organization," was modeled after the National Council of Women and has always welcomed women of all racial backgrounds as members. Mary dream was to create an organization that would unite the efforts of black women's groups so that "when it speaks, its power will be felt." The NCWN was founded on December 5, 1935, in New York City. At the original meeting, there were delegates from fourteen different organizations. Today the NCNW has more than 4.5 million member, 34 national affiliates, and more than 250 local sections.Working with groups such as the YMCA, the NAACP,the National Women's Political Caucus, and the National Urban League, the NCNW has worked to create educational programs aimed at ending racism and discrimination. The organization also worked to end lynching and outlaw poll tax. and it was part of the movement that led to the creation of the Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC),a federal agency that helped prevent discrimination in defense and government jobs.Mary served as president of the NCNW until her death in 1955.Prominent civil rights activists Dorothy Height served as president of the NCNW for forty years and dedicated the organization to the challenges of closing the educational gap between the achievements of  African American children and their white peers and straightening the black family. Under Dorothy leadership, the NCNW worked to integrate public housing, conducted voted registration campaigns, and engaged in policy research on issues of importance to black women. During her tenure as president Dorothy also established the Bethune Museum in Washington, D.C., the first museum ever devoted to the history of black women.Other NCNW projects include the Economic and Entrepreneurial Development Center, which helps women establish their own business, and the Dorothy I. Height Leadership Institute, which helps African American women develop leadership skills. The NCNW also sponsors community learning centers, the NCNW  Buckle-Up American and Impaired Driving Campaign, the Black Family Reunion Celebration, and the Youth Opportunity Initiative.In recent years, the international Division of the NCNW has established several programs in Africa, including the Basic Education Empowerment and Technology Access Program (BEETAP) in Cotonou,Benin, to provide training and assistance in computer and information technology; a leadership development program for women and girls in South Africa; a reproductive health program in eritrea; and a three-way exchange program for youth in the United States, South Africa, and Kenya.