Chicago – The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), in partnership with NCNW-Chicago Midwest Section, unveiled an educational campaign for African American women in Chicago at a public forum this weekend held with local women and civic leaders.

Tomorrow Begins Today: African American Women As We Age is a public education campaign for mature women that focuses on finance, wellness, and life satisfaction. The forum is part of a five-city series of events created to share information and strategies on the issues most critical to African American women. The tour began in Chicago on May 14th and will visit New Orleans (May 20), Houston (June 4), Los Angeles (June 11), and Washington, DC (June 25).

“The National Council of Negro Women is engaging women on these vital issues – health, financial planning, and cultivating life satisfaction – to inspire women to see that they can shape and impact their own futures,” said Cheryl Cooper, national executive director of NCNW.  “We want women to understand that thriving in midlife and beyond involves far more than improving our physical health – although that too, is critical,” Ms. Cooper continued, “we also want women to understand that midlife is a time when many women are reaching their peak earning years and a time when all of us can benefit from cultivating a life beyond our responsibilities to others – we must also focus upon ourselves and finding satisfaction and joy in life.”

Ms. Deborah J. Crable, former host of “Ebony-Jet Showcase,” served as moderator for the Chicago event.  The Honorable Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County and Reverend Mildred C. Harris of God First Ministries gave inspiring strategies for achieving life satisfaction.  Sheryl Hilliard Tucker, executive editor of MONEY magazine, and Diane Deese of VITAS Healthcare Corporation spoke on issues related to financial planning at every age.  Javette Orgain, MD, past national president of the National Medical Association, offered advice on healthy living – along with Ms. Karyn Calabrese, restaurateur and holistic health specialist and Jifunza Wright, MD, also a holistic health expert.  NCNW Chicago Midwest Section president Annetta Wilson and national NCNW executive director Cheryl R. Cooper gave welcoming remarks.

“This event provides a unique opportunity, to specifically gather African American women for meaningful, progressive dialogue on living and aging well. We are supportive of each other while helping ourselves to learn new strategies and tools that we can apply in our personal lives,” said Annetta Wilson, NCNW Chicago Midwest Section president.  “Many women have not yet adopted life-planning strategies to ensure successful living and aging, so this is truly a revolutionary campaign that will help women realize their dreams of self-satisfaction now – and in their future years,” said Ms. Wilson.  

The NCNW Chicago Midwest Section received support from the local community, as well as government and private agencies, to sponsor this event.  Event coordinators received generous donations from local businesses including, Marshall Fields (State Street Store) and the American Cancer Society which donated tote bags to the event, and Ms. Karyn Kerr Pettigrew, a local author and life coach who donated 300 copies of her book, I Quit, and Choose Work That Aligns with My Soul.
 
Beyond the weekend forum, the NCNW Chicago Midwest Section is developing a community action agenda, and organizing an additional event on health and overall financial and spiritual well-being.  That event will be held on June 7th at 6:00pm at the Ada S. McKinley Foster Care Agency at 2907 South Wabash Street.  These activities will focus upon dealing with stress, correcting risk factors for a long and healthy life, becoming debt free, and building wealth (for more information, please contact Annetta Wilson at (773) 542 8634 or wsafechild@sbcglobal.net).

An inspiring book, Tomorrow Begins Today: African American Women As We Age, addressing finance, health, and spiritual satisfaction will be available through NCNW and local stores at the end of the summer.  Contributing authors include Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Capital Management; Sheryl Hilliard Tucker, executive editor MONEY magazine; Vivian Pinn, MD, director, Office of  Research on Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health; and Iyanla Vanzant, author and spiritual counselor.   Valorie Burton, life coach for BlackAmericaWeb.com , noted author Kendra Lee, and Dr. Dorothy I. Height, civil rights activist, national president emerita and chair of NCNW, are also contributors. 

About the National Council of Negro Women

The National Council of Negro Women is a council of 39 national organizations of African American women and more than 200 community-based sections.  Founded in 1935, the NCNW mission is to lead, develop, and advocate for women of African descent.  NCNW fulfills this purpose through research, advocacy, and national and community-based services and programs in the United States and Africa. With its national affiliate organizations and sections, NCNW has an outreach to nearly four million women.