Get to Know Us
Metropolitan Sun of Arizona, NCNW was Chartered on February 17, 2007, under the leadership of Catherine Kennard (Founder & President Emeritus), Antonette Troutman, Terri Brown, Ardith Matthews, Becky Lewis, Becky Calhoun, and Cheryl Bishop. In 2014, Ms. Kennard and Mrs. Washington-Crawford, Vice President of Finance, obtained a 501 (c)(3) status for the Metropolitan Sun Section as a qualified non-profit organization.
We stand on the shoulders of great women!
Mary Mcleod Bethune, Founder
President (1935 - 1949)
The National Council of Negro Women ("NCNW") was founded on December 5th, 1935 by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, a distinguished educator, and government consultant whose parents were born into slavery. Dr. Bethune saw the need for harnessing the power and extending the leadership of African-American women through a national organization. In the early years of NCNW, a small volunteer staff operated out of Dr. Bethune's living room in Washington D.C.
Dorothy Height
President (1957 - 1997)
Dr. Dorothy Irene Height was born on March 24th, 1912 in Richmond, Virginia. Her family later moved to Rankin, Pennsylvania where she excelled as a student. In 1929, Dr. Height received a scholarship to attend Barnard College however she was not allowed to attend because the school did not admit African Americans. Instead, Dr. Height went on to graduate from New York University where she received a bachelor’s in education and master’s in psychology.
During a chance encounter with African American leader, Mary McLeod Bethune, Dr. Height was inspired to begin working with the National Council of Negro Women ("NCNW"). Through the NCNW, Dr. Height focused on ending the lynching of African Americans and restructuring the criminal justice system. In 1957, she became the fourth president of the NCNW. Under her leadership, the NCNW supported voter registration in the South. NCNW also financially aided several civil rights activists throughout the country. Dr. Height was president of NCNW for 40 years.
President Arline-Bradley Bio
The National Council of Negro Women, Inc. announces its first president and chief executive officer, Shavon Arline-Bradley. President Arline-Bradley began her new position in March 2023.
Rev. Arline-Bradley, who is also an ordained minister, brings 21 years of experience in healthcare, equity diversity & inclusion (EDI), government affairs, and executive leadership. She is the founding principal and CEO of R.E.A.C.H. Beyond Solutions, a public health, advocacy, and executive leadership firm promoting EDI, political and organizational strategy, risk management, government affairs, and technical assistance. Under her leadership, the firm’s gross profit grew exponentially in 5 years by broadening its client base to include federal government, foundation, corporate, non-profit, and political candidate entities in the United States and the Netherlands.
