Black Cross Nurses
1 August 1922, Manhattan, New York – "Black Cross Nurses in the giant parade through Harlem which today opened the thirty-day annual world convention of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA)"
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| Founded | 1920 |
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| Founder | Henrietta Vinton Davis |
| Type | Non-governmental organization, Non-profit organization |
| Focus | Humanitarian |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
| Method | Aid |
| Website | www |
Black Cross Nurses (officially the Universal African Black Cross Nurses) is an international organization of nurses which was founded in 1920, based upon the model of the Red Cross. The organization was the women's auxiliary of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League and was established to provide health services and education to people of African descent.
In 1920, Henrietta Vinton Davis established the Black Cross Nurses (BCN) in Philadelphia as an auxiliary of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA). The BCN served as the women's auxiliary of the UNIA, placing women in a supportive role, while the men's auxiliary served in a protective role.Marcus Garvey wanted everyone in the UNIA to feel they belonged within the organization, and the BCN served that purpose for women.
The BCN was based on the World War I nursing model of the Red Cross. Local chapters were established with a matron, head nurse, secretary and treasurer to provide health services and hygiene education to black members of the community. Few programs existed which would admit people of African descent into nursing training at the time and many health facilities provided unequal care to black patrons; one of the goals of the organization was addressing these discrepancies. Doctors, nurses and lay practitioners took courses ranging from six months to a year to make sure that standardized care was being given. In addition, upon graduation from the course, each member was required to purchase and wear their official uniform.
In many ways, the organization functioned as a social reform movement, while developing role models for young women. It promoted education, good health and hygiene, juvenile rehabilitation, maternal and infant care, and training in proper nutrition. It also provided a professional, organized structure for members, giving them a means to appear in roles of public leadership. In articles which appeared in the Negro World, nurses addressed a wide variety of topics from advice to expectant mothers to contagious diseases, heart disease, and hygiene, as well as descriptions of the conditions, symptoms, and treatment options. Benevolent community service included distributing clothing and food to those in need.
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