Founded in 1977, Black Career Women
(BCW) headquartered in
Cincinnati, Ohio, is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization conceived by black
women for the professional development of black women. BCW grew out of an awareness that many of the career related concerns of black women are not
addressed adequately, and, in some instances, receive no attention at all.
BCW designs and implements annual programs which
provide enrichment and encouragement to black women as
they uniquely deal with institutional barriers of racism, sexism, as well as
economic, political and societal forces that thwart their career success.
Participants respond to BCW, with overwhelming praise and evaluate its
services as "long overdue", "critically needed", and its
very existence as "therapeutic" and a virtual "oasis" in
their long journey toward career achievement. Models of some of BCW's most
popular programs are now being broadly implemented by special interest groups
around the country.
BCW has been spearheaded into a national effort through the creative teamwork
of an Executive Board comprised of career development specialists,
and an Advisory Board comprised of achieving black women professionals. Through
seed money awarded to BCW from the U.S. Department of Education,
Fund for Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE), and the MS Foundation,
BCW has grown to be a enduring and credible organization. BCW is considered an important community resource and has been
frequently quoted in Essence magazine and national
diversity/multicultural publications. BCW supported the
development of a significant research project "Women of color
in U.S. Corporations" initiated by New York based Catalyst
and sponsored by over 20 major U.S. corporations.
Today, the organization serves as a nucleus of support and uses its nationwide contacts to identify and address the
critical needs of black women in the workforce related to career
mobility and achievement. For several years BCW has implemented ground-breaking
diversity programs to build positive relationships among diverse women in the
workplace.
BCW Website
In 1997, in conjunction with BCW's 20th Anniversary activities, the BCW
website was created. Now receiving over 3000 visits monthly, BCW is able to
communicate with career-concerned black women worldwide via our
website.
BCW launched its new and more interactive website in May of 2001 to better serve
its members and supporters. Web enhancements were created by Systematic Software
thanks to the generous support of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation's Women's
Fund. The website now includes on-line career strategies chat room, on-line
workshops, and a job listing service.
PROGRAMS
Professional Development Workshops and Seminars
BCW has gained credibility and national recognition for its highly
successful workshops and seminars. Offered annually, these one and two-day
seminars attract achieving women in multiple career arenas nationwide. Past
themes have included:
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Career Management
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Can We Talk?™
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Games Mother Never Taught Me
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Career Exploration and Self-Assessment
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Preparing for Professional Advancement
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Employment Strategies and Resources
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Negotiating Salary, Benefits and Other Perks
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POWER
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Managing Change
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Managing Your Career in a Period of Flourishing Racism and Sexism
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Strategies for Increasing Your Professional Visibility
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Professional Job Changing System
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Image Development
P.T.O. (Personal Time Off)
An annual weekend retreat for black women stressing personal development
(exercise, grooming, and beauty clinic), and strategies for balancing personal
and professional roles. (Not being offered currently)
PURPOSE
Black Career Women is guided by the following goals:
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To significantly enhance the professional development of black working
women;
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To establish and support formal black women's networks, both locally and
nationally, to provide black women with greater resources to aid in their
career development;
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To provide greater access for employing organizations to black women in
the workforce;
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To encourage increased
understanding, communication and collaboration among diverse women to leverage
their collective presence in the U.S. workforce;
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To develop information and research on black women workers;
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To promote and publicize the achievements of black career women;
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To provide a supportive forum for the black woman dealing with the
complexities of personal and professional development;
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To link the professional development efforts of black women with other
women of color and white women for our mutual career growth and empowerment.
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