NBNA Logo
*The National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) was incorporated on this date in 1972.
Founded in Cleveland, Ohio, the organization promotes African American women in the nursing field. At the American Nurses Association (ANA) Convention in 1970, 200 African American nurses proposed the formation of the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA). After the convention, several nurses met at Doctor Mary Harper's home in Cleveland, Ohio, to discuss the formation of an organization. They were organized in December 1971.
Betty Smith Williams was the nurse who proposed the group's formation under its current name. Mattiedna Johnson co-founded it. The first president of NBNA was Dr. Lauranne Sams. In 1972, the organization was officially incorporated. The goal of the NBNA is to improve the health status of Blacks in the United States, Canada, the Eastern Caribbean, and Africa, and to open nursing education and leadership positions for African Americans.
The official mission statement was to provide a forum for collective action by Black nurses to investigate, define, and advocate for the healthcare needs of African Americans, and to implement strategies that ensure access to healthcare equal to or above the healthcare standards of the larger society. The NBNA has hosted "NBNA Day on Capitol Hill" since 1988. Nursing professionals share ways to advocate for nursing and their communities at the event. The official journal of the NBNA is the Journal of the NBNA.
By 1991, the organization had 51 chapters around the United States. Williams served as president from 1995 to 1999. As of 2020, there are around 200,000 members of NBNA and 115 chapters.
