The National Association of Colored Women (NACW) was founded in 1896 and shared the fight for suffrage with white women, but they didn’t want their civil liberties to end there. Instead, they used their platform and influence to improve the lives of Black Americans AND Black women.
Black women at this time banded together to take the lead on liberating our people. They pooled together educators, entrepreneurs, and activists to come together for the cause.
Their guiding principle was “lift as we climb.” They played a critical role in advancing Black womens’ rights and uplifting the Black community.
The NACW provided a variety of social services to the Black community including mobilizing voter registration drives, educating children and providing job training and parenting classes for Black women as well as community watch groups focused on protecting Black neighborhoods.
The NACW believed in uplifting our people. They created their own systems, services, and institutions just for us. Creating a world for ourselves is possible and necessary for us to reach liberation.