In the early 1990's, the Chapter's Board of Directors passed a resolution to promote and reflect the diversity of the social work profession. As a result, several task forces were formed, including the Task Force on Latino Affairs (which became the Committee on Latino Affairs) and the Asian Task Force. The Chapter leadership invited several social workers of African descent to participate in the development of a task force to address the issues and concerns of social workers of African descent. This resulted in a survey that was conducted with most members who had listed themselves as being of African descent on their NASW membership application. The result of this survey will be printed in a later issue of Currents.

In November of 1996, the Chapter hosted a well-attended meeting of Social Workers of African descent. Meeting participants were given the opportunity to share their views regarding issues they believed needed to be addressed by the Chapter and the profession. Two major themes emerged from the discussion, 1) the belief that the Chapter and the profession need to confront more directly racism experienced by social workers in the workplace and the racist policies affecting the people they serve; and 2) the belief that the Chapter and the profession need to do more to address the lack of representation of social workers of African descent in the profession's history and its continued development. There was concern expressed by meeting participants that for the most part, the only time people of African descent are discussed, be it in the literature or in discussion groups, is from the context of people of African descent as clients and not as professionals. The Chapter heard the concerns by the membership, and in collaboration with meeting participants, a task force, chaired by Diane Cameron and Frances Curtis was established.

The Task Force had the difficult charge of establishing its identity and clarifying its purpose. Thanks to the diligent efforts of task force participants, a name, mission statement and objectives were developed in the first six months (December ‘96 to June ‘97). The task force is identified as the Task Force of Social Workers of African Descent to reflect the diversity of its members. The mission  of the group is the promotion and advancement of issues concerning communities and social work professionals of African descent.   The objectives, which evolved out of the mission statement and within the overall mission of NASW, are 1) To increase the participation and membership of social workers of African descent within the structure of NASW NYC Chapter; 2) To enhance collaboration between the Chapter and organizations that address the needs and concerns of people of African descent; 3) To enhance collaboration between the Task Force and other Chapter committees that address the needs and concerns of people who have been traditionally disenfranchised and disempowered within society; 4) To monitor and articulate the impact of social polices on people of African descent; and 5) To provide a critical analysis of practice knowledge and research by and about people of African descent, promoting its integration into social work practice.

One of the high points of the Task Force's beginning was a speech given by Dr. James Dumpson of Fordham, the first Black dean of a school of social work, and former commissioner of the Child Welfare Administration under the Dinkins administration. Dr. Dumpson was thrilled at the formation of the group and remembered times in the past when this kind of task force seemed almost impossible. The current chairs of the Task Force are John Edwards, CSW, ACSW who works at the Phillips Ambulatory Care Center at Beth Israel Medical Center and Diane Jackson, CSW who is Assistant Director of the Liberty Partnership program at the High School for Health Professionals, which is administered through Pace University.

The Task Force meets the second Tuesday of each month and those interested are invited to contact one of the Co- chairs through the Chapter Office, 212-668-0050.