The Imani Chapter of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) has made a comeback by participating in community recently service activities and empowering strong female figures after it nearly faded away in 2013.
NCNW’s mission is to lead, advocate for and empower women of African descent, their families and communities.
The club’s president, Kimani Key, a junior marketing major, explained the organization’s purpose.
“Specifically for Seton Hall, we find purpose in making sure there’s a community of women who know they have people who support them and uplift each other,” Key said. “We also make sure we are giving back to the community. We’re just a collective of women helping each other.”
Taylor Newkirk, a junior psychology major and Africana studies minor, served as the club’s secretary last year and explained why the club appealed to her. “At a predominantly white institution, I believe that it is essential to find a group of people who you can relate to,” Newkirk said. “NCNW is a predominantly black organization of women who advocate for other African American women through service, and that interested me.”
Key said that community service is at the core of NCNW’s values. It is so central to their mission that they installed a community service chair on their executive board this year, she said.
This year, for its first initiative, NCNW held a school supply drive for Hawthorne Elementary School in Newark. Key said the chapter has a connection with the school as they also spend their time mentoring fourth-grade girls there.
Key said in October members wrote letters to political prisoners, specifically those who were wrongfully incarcerated for their work with organizations like the Black Panther Party. On Oct. 21, NCNW made its way to the Making Strides with Breast Cancer Walk in Newark.
Key said that another integral aspect of the club is its celebration and recognition of women. She said in an event called “SHU Girls Rock,” NCNW commemorated women, including faculty, administration and students, who truly have made a difference with their time, dedication and hard work.
At the end of the year, Key said NCNW holds their Mother-Daughter Tea, where members bring in various female family members who have made significant impacts on their lives for tea, games and a raffle.
Their club faculty adviser, Brenda Knight, secretary to the dean of arts and sciences, has been heading the organization since it began 21 years ago. According to Key, Knight is very supportive in what the club does, and always attends their big events and brings faculty to show support.
Kayla Rivers, a sophomore anthropology and Spanish major, said she truly values being a part of this organization.
“NCNW’s mission alone encapsulates my main reason for joining the organization,” Rivers said. “Being an out-of-state student from the Caribbean, I searched for a support system on campus. NCNW, with its mission that’s aligned with my values, provides me with a network of like-minded people who share a common background to mine; it’s truly my home away from home.”
Kristel Domingo can be reached at kristel.domingo@student.shu.edu.
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