The NCBW Bergen/Passaic Chapter founded by Mary Ann Miller was chartered on September 21, 1986 with 30 members. Shortly thereafter, the Chapter petitioned for and was granted its 501(c)(3) status. Since its inception, the Chapter has been actively involved in numerous program initiatives. One of our first involvements was with Englewood Partners for Public Education (EPPE). EPPE was an effort to form partnerships between the public and private sectors that would benefit the Englewood Public Schools.

As the Chapter continued to grow, its standing committees targeted specific programs. These activities included, but were not limited to: 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. Other significant contributions to the community were the preservation of two historic cemeteries in Bergen County: (a) Gethsemane Cemetery in Little Ferry, New Jersey which was the burial ground for the colored population of the Village of Hackensack, New Jersey; and (b) the African American/Indian/Dutch cemetery located off Pomander Walk in Teaneck, New Jersey.

The Bergen/Passaic Chapter also received a grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH). This grant, the first of its kind received by a Bergen County black women’s organization, provided the funding for an AIDS Awareness Conference. Turning its focus to youth, the Chapter began its own mentoring program, “Project 99”, in 1990. Funding for that program was made possible through a substantial grant through Prudential. In 1997, the Chapter was the only women’s organization to be awarded the New Jersey Department of Human Services Community Challenge Grant. This enabled the Chapter to implement the Gentry I Program, which targeted adolescent minority males.

The Chapter’s presence and commitments, through the support of its membership, have kept our Mission in focus. Because of our support, we have 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, to name a few. We are especially proud to be a life member of the Bergen County NAACP.