National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW)

Note: This is not the official Web site for NABSW. This is a page of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work Web site that provides information about NABSW for our students.

The NABSW was founded in May, 1968, in San Francisco. This organization was formed in response to issues related to providing human services in the Black community, educating social workers for effective service in the Black community, and providing opportunities for participation of Black social workers in the social welfare arena. Membership in NABSW is open to Black people working in human services and is not predicated upon degree or experience. There are chapters throughout the country.

From its inception, NABSW has financially supported an Office of Student Affairs that is student-run and has full membership in the organization. NABSW has concern for the recruitment, admission/hiring retention, graduation/ promotion of African American students and faculty in schools of social work. There is also concern for curriculum development, teaching (classroom or practicum) that is monitored by the Education Committee of NABSW.

The local chapter of NABSW is the Triangle Association of Black Social Workers (TABSW). Students may form a unit in TABSW to express their concerns and are eligible to be full participating members. Students and practitioners meet together and are supportive of their mutual concerns for accountability and responsibility in social work service. TABSW sponsors local programs in the Triangle area related to service delivery and policy making, such as the adoption of African-American children, family service, education, employment, and political education. TABSW is also an affiliate member of the North Carolina State Association of Black Social Workers (NCSABSW). This enables North Carolina chapters to interact with, and support, each other. NCSABSW sponsors a yearly state conference to address relevant social work service needs of clients, students, practitioners, educators, and administrators-regardless of race or ethnicity.

NABSW has annual conferences and educational tours. Its publications are the Black Caucus Journal and the NABSW Newspaper. Through its various committees on social welfare, NABSW addresses individual, family, and community needs. The organization engages in social action, research, and other activities to promote improvement in the civil, legal, health, and socio-economic status of African Americans.

Students are invited to participate with their fellow students and practitioners in the TABSW Chapter. Student dues are $25 annually and meetings are held the second Monday of each month. The school's liaison with NABSW and its affiliates is Professor Audreye E. Johnson, a founding member of NABSW, and affiliates in North Carolina and other states. She will be happy to provide you with additional information on NABSW, TABSW, and NCSABSW (which offers the Dr. Audreye E. Johnson Scholarship for students on an annual basis).

NABSW
1220 11th St. NW Suite 2
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 589-1850
Fax: (202) 589-1853

NABSW Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics of NABSW, adopted in 1971, is excerpted below:

In America today, no Black person, except the selfish or irrational, can claim neutrality in the quest for Black liberation nor fail to consider the implications of the events taking place in our society. Given the necessity for committing ourselves to the struggle for freedom, we as Black Americans practicing in the field of social welfare set forth this statement of ideals and guiding principles.

If a sense of community awareness is a precondition to humanitarian acts, then we as Black social workers must use our knowledge of the Black community, our commitments to its self-determination and our helping skills for the benefit of Black people as we marshal our expertise to improve the quality of life of Black people. Our activities will be guided by our Black consciousness, our determination to protect the security of the Black community and to serve as advocates to relieve suffering of Black people by any means necessary.

Therefore, as Black social workers we commit ourselves, collectively, to the interests of our Black brethren and as individuals subscribe to the following statements:

I regard as my primary obligation the welfare of the Black individual, Black family, and Black community and will engage in action for improving social conditions.

I give precedence to this mission over my personal interests.

I adopt the concept of a Black extended family and embrace all Black people as my brothers and sisters, making no distinction between their destiny and my own.

I hold myself responsible for the quality and extent of service I perform and the quality and extent of service performed by the agency or organization in which I am employed, as it relates to the Black community.

I accept the responsibility to protect the Black community against unethical and hypocritical practice by any individuals or organizations engaged in social welfare activities.

I stand ready to supplement my paid or professional advocacy with voluntary service in the Black public interest.

I will consciously use my skills, and my whole being, as an instrument for social change, with particular attention directed to the establishment of Black social institutions.