The year 2025 marks a milestone year for the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), the historic nonprofit coalition founded in 1935 by Mary McLeod Bethune. The organization is celebrating 90 years of service. NCNW is celebrating in a big way during its 19th Biennial Uncommon Height Honors Gala on Dec. 6 by celebrating Black excellence with multiple awards for the first time in the gala’s history, Shavon Arline-Bradley, NCNW president and CEO, told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
NCNW will honor a total of seven people, with Congresswoman Maxine Waters receiving the highest honor. Waters, who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1991, will receive the Crystal Chair Award.
This award is given to an individual who has demonstrated a lifetime devoted to the protection of freedom, the pursuit of excellence in career, and personal dedication to humanity, as exemplified by the long-standing president, Dr. Dorothy Irene Height.Height led the organization for 40 years. She was famously known for her contributions and dedication to economic justice, civil rights, and education.
“We decided to honor every facet of our institution. We have the Change Maker Award for our young women under the age of 30, an Uncommon Journalist Award, where we’re featuring journalists who have been under attack,” Bradley says. “Our theme focuses on Black families and Black America being under attack. Our intention is to celebrate them.”
National Council of Negro Women Highlighting Black Excellence Amid Attack On DEI Programs
NCNW is an “organization of organizations,” comprised of nearly 400 campus and community-based sections and 37 national women’s organizations that enlighten, inspire, and connect more than 2,000,000 women and men.
Bradley says the gala and work of NCNW are more important than ever this year, as Black historic institutions, policies, and protections are under threat under the current administration.
In his first week in office, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the public and private sectors. Subsequently, these orders have eliminated diverse and equitable initiatives and programming and created new barriers for Black Americans and other marginalized groups.
Black women are witnessing unprecedented unemployment levels. The unemployment rate for Black women is 7.5%, prompting Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley to call on the Federal Reserve to take action.
“In this moment, we have realized that the Black community, Black women particularly, are a threat to society. Our excellence has exposed the mediocrity of our system in this country,” says Bradley. “In this time, we’ve got to activate. Our history tells us not only that we are resilient, but we’re innovative and creative.”
Funding raised for the National Council of Negro Women’s Biennial Uncommon Height Honors Gala supports its programming and on-the-ground direct services, which include scholarships.
Emmy Award-winning anchor Linsey Davis and legendary entertainer DJ D-Nice will serve as host and emcee. This is the second gala, led by Bradley and NCNW Chair Dr. A. Lois Keith, with event co-chairs Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole and Carla Harris.
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