Honor Black Women's Coalition

June 16, 2018, at the Sheraton Mahwah Hotel in Mahwah, New Jersey; and WHEREAS, The National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW), Inc. is a non-partisan network of women committed to sharing, promoting, and helping others achieve success; the NCBW consists of more than 7,000 members representing 63 chapters in 24 states and the District of Columbia; and WHEREAS, This vital organization strives to foster principles of equal rights and opportunities, promote awareness of black culture, develop the potential of the membership for effective leadership and participation in civic affairs, promote advocacy and economic development, and cooperate with other persons and organizations to achieve mutual goals; and WHEREAS, The Coalition of 100 Black Women began in New York in 1970, in an effort to continue the successful implementation of socio-economic and political strategies that began in the mid-1960s; founded by Mary Ann Miller, the Bergen/Passaic Chapter was chartered on September 21,

1986, with 30 members; and WHEREAS, Since its inception, the NCBW Bergen/Passaic Chapter has been actively involved in numerous program initiatives; one of its first was with Englewood Partners for Public Education (EPPE); as the Chapter grew, it worked with various activities including voter registration drives in sync with the League of Women Voters and hosting the Bergen County Black Issues Conference (BIC), formation of the Bergen County Ad Hoc Committee of Black Women's Organizations; and becoming a member of the Bergen County Women's Roundtable; and WHEREAS, The NCBW Bergen/Passaic Chapter also preserved two historic cemeteries in Bergen County, and received a grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) which provided the funding for an AIDS Awareness Conference; in 1990, this vital organization implemented its own mentoring program, Project 99; and WHEREAS, In 1997, the NCBW Bergen/Passaic Chapter was the only women's organization to be awarded the New Jersey Department of Human Services Community Challenge Grant, which enabled it to implement the Gentry I Program, which targets adolescent minority males; and WHEREAS, In addition, the NCBW Bergen/Passaic Chapter has been able to give back to the community by contributing to the African/American Center at Teaneck High School, the Englewood Hospital, the Children's Aid and Adoption Society, and the Bergen County NAACP; and WHEREAS, The success of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Bergen/Passaic Chapter is in direct correlation to the efforts of President Paula Madison-Ryner, and her staff, whose involvement is, and always has been, characterized by an impressive commitment, an unbridled enthusiasm, and an uncompromising standard of excellence in all endeavors on behalf of the institution and the community it serves; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when organizations of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our attention, they should be recognized and applauded by all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commend the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Bergen/Passaic Chapter upon the occasion of hosting its 32nd Annual Masquerade Ball on