Black women’s history is a colorful story that often lives outside of history books and inside the realities of black women’s lives. Kennesaw State’s section of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. is proof of this reality.
“[NCNW exists to] give Kennesaw some type of heritage and tradition to go along with the other organizations,” senior health education major and section president Chanelle Johnson said. “All our events have been focused on either the community or what we can do for the girls here on campus.”
The KSU section currently has 85 Owl Life members dedicated to the organization’s mission, “to lead, advocate for and empower women of African descent, their families and communities.”
What sets this group apart from others is its long tradition and national connection.
To Johnson, what is special about the club in her eyes is “knowing that I’m leaving a mark and doing something on my campus and continuing a legacy that was started in 1935.”
The original National Council for Negro Women, Inc. was started in 1935 and has grown to nearly 3 million members, known in the organization as N-Sisters, across its 250 local sections.
“So many people are a part of it and to be able to be one of those people including in making an impact in the community,” senior criminal justice major and student advisor LaShawn Hill said. “We’re big on self-care, so that’s our way of promoting self-care and giving back to the community.”
To make its impact in the community, the NCNW partners with local, national and international charities that share the same club’s values. Despite the name, anyone on campus can join the NCNW.
For the semester’s first meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 10, members wrote letters of encouragement to young girls across the world as part of “The Letter Project.”
The Letter Project is a nonprofit with a mission “to foster a community of women who build one another up through collaboration and shared confidence,” according to its website.
Future events for the club include decorating head wraps for cancer patients and collecting books for children in Africa. The group also plans to partner with an Atlanta-based chapter of the Top Ladies of Distinction, a national NCNW partner also dedicated to empowering women and giving back to underprivileged communities.
In addition to heritage, being a part of the club includes being a part of a local and national sisterhood. The section also holds events to build sisterhood within KSU. Part of the club’s regular events to build this connection includes attending monthly church services together.
Past events included attending the Biannual State of Georgia NCNW Conference in Savannah as well as hosting its monthly “Girl Talk Tuesday.”
“[The conference allows us] to meet N–Sisters from Spelman, Savannah State — people I didn’t even know were so close to [us],” Johnson said. “[Girl Talk Tuesday gives] the girls a safe space to come meet other women with similar struggles and similar interests, and [gives] them space to bond,” Johnson said.
This year, the group will host “Purple Table Talks,” the NCNW’s take on Jada Pinkett Smith’s candid Red Table Talks, to continue creating a safe space for students to bond and grow.
At its core, the NCNW is committed to creating a university and community where black women can thrive personally and professionally.
Its meetings are typically held on Tuesdays in the Education Building, with the next one to be advertised on its Owl Life page.
