SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL BLACK NURSES ASSOCIATION, INC.

The National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) is a professional organization representing more than 150,000 African-American nurses throughout the United States. The membership consists of Registered Nurses, Advanced Practice Registered (nurse practitioners) Nurses, Licensed Practical / Vocational Nurses and Nursing Students.

NBNA was founded in 1971 by Dr. Lauranne Sams and several African-American nurses in attendance at the American Nurses Association in 1970. The organization was in response to growing inequities in health care for African-Americans and the lack of voice from the African-American nurses on these issues. NBNA’s mission is to provide a forum for collective action by African-American nurses to investigate, define and advocate for the health care needs of African-Americans. In addition, strategies are implemented that ensure access to health care equal to or above health care standards of the larger society.

Affiliate chapters of NBNA are the primary mechanism through which the national, state and local community-based programs successfully operate. NBNA has 77 chapters throughout the United States.

The Southern Connecticut Chapter of the National Black Nurses Association, Inc. was founded in 1990 by Anita Smalls and co-founders Jacqueline Johnson, Melanese Kotey, and Stephanie Wilborne. The Southern Connecticut Black Nurses Association, Inc. (SCBNA), since its inception has been guided by the NBNA principle that African-American nurses have the understanding, knowledge, interest, concern and the expertise to make a significant difference in the health care status of African-American and minority communities. Thus, SCBNA/NBNA’s goal of improving the health of African-Americans through the provision of culturally competent, community-based programs has been the cornerstone of the organization and continues to be its driving force into the new millennium.