Biennial Conference
NCBW conferences are held biennially. They have been funded by numerous corporations. Among them are Avon, General Mills, Clairol, American Express, Time Warner, Philip Morris Companies, The Coca-Cola Company, New York Telephone, Xerox, AT&T, Home Box Office, Sara Lee, and Reebok. The first convention, held in Philadelphia in 1984, enabled NCBW to pull together its regional cadres of leaders.
During the second, which was held in Houston in 1986, the membership adopted resolutions that have become part of NCBW's present operating strategy. The third, held in St. Louis in 1988, included workshops devoted to voter registration, education reform, AIDS and career paths.
The fourth conference, held in New York City in 1990, provided self-development opportunities and probed issues that could help shape America in the twenty-first century. And among the issues addressed at the fifth, which was held in Washington, DC, in October 1992, were educational reform, reproductive health freedom, and wellness in the African American community. The 1994 biennial meeting, in New York City, addressed the issues of equity, education and economics as they related to African American women.
In 1993, the NCBW board of directors decided to hold these conferences in odd years. This change was initiated in 1995, with the convention being held at Tuskegee University’s Kellogg Conference Center in Alabama. The theme of the conference was "On Line for Global Leadership" focused on the following topics: Building on Our Commonality with Black South Africa, Affirmative Action and Political Education and Action, Information Superhighway: National and International Implications, Welfare and Social Reform, and Collegiate Leadership Development. In addition, NCBW installed its first collegiate division.
The Eighth Biennial Conference, held October 9–12, 1997, in Cleveland, Ohio, had workshops devoted to the program priorities of health, education, research and training; and economic development. The theme of the Conference, "Equity for African American Women: A National Agenda for the New Millennium," was the thread that ran throughout the workshops.
The Ninth Biennial Conference was held October 7–10, 1999, in Manhattan Beach, California. The program components—education, health, economic development, political advocacy and leadership challenges—mirrored the theme of the conference, LEADERS FOR A NEW AGE: Answering Challenges with Solutions.
The Tenth Biennial Conference,, held October 4–7, 2001, at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel in Pennsylvania, celebrated the 20th anniversary of NCBW. A reception and dinner were held, at which the NCBW founding assembly was honored. The theme of the conference, "Defining the Future Through Strategic Action," was explored in discussions that included "Gender Equity as Leadership Challenge," "Disparities in Health Issues," "Wealth and Markets in the New Age" and "Struggling for Professional Identity."
"Transformational Leadership: Translating Strategy into Action" was the theme of the 2003 conference, held in Bal Harbour, Florida. Topics explored under this theme were "African American Women and AIDS," "Leadership Challenges and Political Advocacy," "Microlending: Building Wealth in Our Communities" and "Education: The Supreme Court and The Affirmative Action Cases." In addition, NCBW recognized women and institutions that had demonstrated exceptional leadership in areas of the Coalition's strategic mission, health care, education and economic development.
The theme of the twelfth biennial conference, which was postponed until 2006 because of the effect of Hurricane Katrina, was "Impact: Strength of Many, Voice of One." It was held June 7–11, at the Hilton Americas-Houston Hotel, in Houston, Texas. The conference featured plenary sessions and workshops designed to present NCBW's national program areas: health, education and economic development. The sessions were entitled "Healthy Choices for African American Women: A Tale of Three Personal Journeys," "Preserving Historically Black Colleges and Universities," "Influencing the Political Agenda to Advance Black Women's Issues" and "Women Entrepreneurs Building Your Wealth."
The Thirteenth Biennial Conference was held in Baltimore, Maryland, October 3-7, 2007. Held at BWI Airport Marriott Hotel, the theme of the conference was "National Coalition of 100 Black Women at 25: Celebrating Our Legacy of Leadership - Health, Education & Economic Development. A highlight of this 25th Anniversary Celebration was a reunion with the founding "mothers" whose vision laid the groundwork for the organization of today. A special video featuring Mrs. Edna Beach was presented.
Held in Atlanta, Georgia, the Fourteenth Biennial Conference was held October 7-11, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. The Theme was "Strengthening Our Connection: Bold Leadership, Strong Advocacy, Progressive VIsion." Special guests included Judge Penny Brown Reynolds and Steve Harvey.
The Fifteenth Biennial Conference will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana, 5-9 October 2011, at the downtown Marriott.
