"National Black Feminist Organization"(1973-1976)

Founded in May 1973,The National Black Feminist Organization worked to address the unique issues affecting black women in America.Founding members included Michele Wallace,Faith Ringgold,Doris Wright,and Margaret Sloan Hunter.They borrowed the office of the New York City chapter of the National Organization for Women.The formation of the NBFO was officially announced on August 15,1973.Margaret chair of the organization invited black women to join NBFO in the August 15th announcement,and on August 16th,received over 400 inquiries from interested women.The first conference was held in December of 1973.As testament to the group's popularity,by February of 1974 there were over 2,000 members and 10 chapters across the nation,a huge and rapid increase from the original 30 members.The national organization disbanded in 1976, some individual chapters continued operation until 1980.The NBFO had an extremely heterogeneous population with diverse perspectives on what a black feminist politic should entail.Members of the NBFO were usually also members of other organizations;the most popular were the Radicalesbians,the Socialist Workers Party,and the National Organization of Women.Because of internal dissension on the most effective strategy to employ in pursing black feminist liberation,a lack of support from much larger and older black sororities,personal and regional disputes between between members,and feelings of split loyalty to the causes of black liberation and femnist liberation,the NBFO was a short-lived organization.