‘Concerned Black Nurses’ Of Newark Helped Improve Healthcare

NEWARK, NJ — The Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders recently honored the Concerned Black Nurses of Newark, Inc., during a special presentation at the Hall of Records in Newark.

According to a freeholder joint news release, the Concerned Black Nurses of Newark, Inc., dates back to 1900 when Martha Franklin founded the first organization of Black Nurses, known as the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN).

NACGN was dissolved in 1951 to facilitate the assimilation of Black Nurses into the American Nurses Association.

The freeholders stated:

“The present Black Nurses Association is attributed to the foresight of Dr. Lauranne Sams who assembled a Black Nurses concept at the 1970 American Nurses Association (ANA) Convention in Miami, Florida, to discuss issues pertinent to Black Nurses. In September 1973, the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) held its first conference and Institute in Cleveland, Ohio. Hilda Goldston, Annette Hubbard, and Pauline Lewis from Newark, New Jersey, attended the meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, and their attendance laid the foundation for the establishment of Concerned Black Nurses of Newark, Inc. The organization allows nurses to improve healthcare in black communities and advocate for the underserved.”

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Photo: Glen Frieson