July 21 …

The National Association of Colored Women (NACW) — later National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs — has played a pivotal role in shaping American civil rights, advancing social justice, and empowering women, leaving a lasting impact on society, culture, and history.

Founded on July 21, 1896, the NACW emerged from the merger of several African American women’s clubs, most notably the National Federation of Afro-American Women, Woman’s Era Club of Boston, and the Colored Women’s League of Washington, DC. Its establishment was a response to widespread racial discrimination, gender inequality, and the urgent need for organized advocacy to address issues affecting African American communities.

The organization’s motto, “Lifting as We Climb,” reflected its dual mission of promoting self-improvement among Black women while advancing broader social reforms. Its first president was Mary Church Terrell.

The founders of the NACW included remarkable leaders such as Terrell, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, who sought to create a national platform for African American women to exercise their influence in society. Key participants over the years included Margaret Murray Washington, Charlotte Hawkins Brown, Addie Waites Hunton, and Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, all of whom contributed to education, healthcare, and social welfare initiatives.

The organization’s background was rooted in the post-Reconstruction era. It was a time when African Americans faced systemic exclusion from political, social, and economic opportunities, making the NACW a vital vehicle for community empowerment and advocacy.

The NACW focused on a broad range of issues, including civil rights, women’s suffrage, education, and anti-lynching campaigns, directly engaging with audiences that ranged from local communities to national policymakers. The organization influenced social reform through initiatives like establishing schools, orphanages, and social programs, often collaborating with churches, civic organizations, and other advocacy groups.

The NACW’s key stakeholders included African American women across socioeconomic backgrounds who sought a collective voice to address social injustices and promote cultural pride. The organization’s advocacy also helped shape the early civil rights movement, laying the groundwork for future organizations and campaigns aimed at equality and justice.

Over its history, the NACW has received numerous accolades for its contributions to society, including recognition by the National Women’s Hall of Fame and honors commemorating Terrell and other pioneering members. The organization’s legacy continues to be celebrated for its transformative impact on American history, providing a model of leadership, resilience, and activism.

Through decades of service, the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs has ensured that the efforts of African American women remain central to the narrative of civil rights, women’s rights, and social justice in the United States.

About The Founding Organizations:

• National Federation of Afro-American Women (NFAAW) was organized in Boston during the First National Conference of the Colored Women of America in August 1895. The first event of its kind in the United States, representatives from 42 African-American women’s clubs from 14 states convened for the purpose of creating a national organization.
• Woman’s Era Club of Boston was an African-American women’s civic organization founded between 1892 and 1894 by Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin. The club was the first Black women’s club in Boston. The purpose of the club was to do charity work, personal improvement and philanthropy. It was one of the largest women’s clubs for African Americans at the time.
• Colored Women’s League (CWL) of Washington, DC was a woman’s club organized in June 1892 by a group of African-American women that included Anna Julia Cooper, Helen Appo Cook, Mary Church Terrell, Ida B. Wells, and Charlotte Forten Grimké. The primary mission was the national union of colored women, and it reportedly had the largest membership of any African American women’s club in the country.