Black Social Workers Mission Statement

NABSW stands for National Association of Black Social Workers. Their mission statement: “Committed to enhancing the quality of life and empowering people of African ancestry through advocacy, human services delivery, and research. They will work to create a world in which people of African ancestry will live free from racial dominating economic exploitation, and cultural oppression.” The Code of Ethics that NABSW is to protect the black community, black individual, and family. Their focus is making sure that the black community is treated fairly and equal rights as their counterparts. A member of NABSW will “consciously use their skills, and whole being as an instrument for social change, with particular attention directed to the establishment

It started with a small group of Black Social Workers, which became the largest professional organization during that time. The first two years of starting the organization they made demands for change that mainly focused on human services and the social welfare system. NABSW is open to the African American who is studying Social Work as a major. NABSW focus was to be an advocate for the black communities focusing on issues of poverty, and racism. NABSW goal was racial equality, black empowerment, improved social work practice, and delivery of service. Barriers had been broken and change was evident for the NABSW. It allowed members to begin sitting on the committees, and holding various positions in the organization. NABSW since then has constantly shown their support for African ancestry. NABSW has earned the respect and has been published in the Black Caucus Journal, and National Newsletter bi-annually and quarterly. Highlighting their historical development practice issues, human services, juvenile justice system, and social welfare. NABSW made sure that they would be around to advocate for the black community for years to come. They will be an advocate on a local, state and national level representing the black community promoting survival, and justice for the black

They felt it would affect them emotionally, physically, and psychologically. They would not know the total sense of who they were culturally. They stated “The family is the basic unit of society: one’s first most pervasive and only consistent culturing life experience. Humans develop their sense of values, identity, self- concept, attitudes, and basic perspective within the family group. Black children in white homes are cut off the healthy development of themselves as black people, which development is the normal expectations and only true humanistic goal.” NABSW felt black children should be placed with next of kin. Kinship care is referred to as “out-of-home,” which is referred to as foster care guidelines. They feel children should be placed in the care of the next of kin. This will help keep them out of the foster care system. This brings up the discussion on how NABSW feel about the welfare reform. They felt that the welfare reform has not changed over the years and it still has keep blacks in a poverty level. NABSW felt that over the 5-year course no major changes have taken effect since. African Americans continue to struggle from lower wages, job placement and unemployment. Exposing them to repetitive behavior making the family cycle continue to repeat itself. Although, there have been a decline in the African American community remaining on welfare, they still suffer from finding