Founding Presidents of NBNA
The National Black Nurses Association was founded in 1971
Photo used with permission from NBNA.
The National Association for Colored Graduate Nursing (NACGN), established in 1901, was dissolved in 1951 upon more committed integration efforts of national nursing organizations. Post-Civil Rights and pre-internet, Black nurses identified a need to develop a way of networking together to better address the needs of the Black nursing community and Black patient populations. A Black caucus was formed at a 1970 American Nurse Association meeting, with Dr. Lauranne Sams serving as chair of the resulting steering committee.
Within a year, the committee unanimously voted to establish the National Black Nursing Association (NBNA), which continues to advocate and recognize the unique leadership role of Black nurses in improving the health status of Black people. Today, with 115 chapters, NBNA serves over 200,000 members from the U.S., Africa, and Eastern Caribbean. Below are the brief biographies of the organization’s founding presidents with a sequel article covering the presidents from 1999 to present.
Lauranne Sams
NBNA President 1973–1977
Graduating with a bachelor’s in nursing in 1950 from Butler University and Indianapolis General Hospital School of Nursing, Dr. Sams went on to complete a Master’s degree in Education and Clinical Nursing and, by 1968, a doctorate degree in Educational Psychology (both from Indiana University). She became a nationally recognized nursing educator who served 16 years teaching at the Indiana School of Nursing, became dean of the school of Nursing at Tuskegee University, and was appointed to the Indiana State Board of Nurse Registration and Education. While specializing in OB/GYN and maternal-infant nursing early in her career, following her retirement, she pursued post-doctorate studies in gerontology.
Sources
We sourced the above information from Indiana University, Black Nurse Association of Indiana, National Black Nurses Association, and Indiana School of Nursing.
Dr. Carrie Frazier Brown
NBNA President 1977–1979
Born in Louisiana as the second eldest of 14 children, Carrie Frazier Brown’s scholastic achievements in high school enabled her to start her bachelor’s of science at age 14 from Dillard University. By seventeen, she worked as a nurse for the US Army and by 19 she was promoted to captain and worked as pediatric clinic supervisor. She went on to receive a MA in human relations, a MS in psychiatric nursing, and a PhD. She is on congressional record in support of the Nursing Training Act, served for six years as Detroit’s health commissioner, and served as the second president of the NBNA. She was recognized in 1993 by ANA’s Michigan chapter as outstanding psycho-mental health nurse and in 1996 as nurse of the year by the NBNA.
Sources
We sourced the above information from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s History and Michigan Women.
E. Lorraine Buagh
NBNA President 1979–1983
E. Lorraine Buagh began her nursing career with a diploma in nursing from Boston City Hospital and later received her bachelor’s and master’s (in nursing education) from Boston University, and doctorate of education from Boston College. She authored a book on opening doors to nursing education, served as the third NBNA president, and the first Chair of the Massachusetts General Hospital Board of Trustees, which she served for a decade. She has been awarded by the Massachusetts Public Health Association, among many other organizations.
Sources
We sourced the above information from Google Books and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Ophelia Long
NBNA President 1983–1987
During a 27-year career at Kaiser Permanente, Ophelia Long’s nursing roles evolved from the ICU to administration. She then served for five years as CEO of Alameda County Medical Center prior to becoming the only nurse to serve as vice president of Meharry Medical College. Later she created and owned Long and Associates, a healthcare management consulting firm. In addition to serving as a president of the National Black Nurses Association and treasurer of National Black Nurses Foundation, she also contributed to the Black Congress on Health, Law, and Economics, where she served as its national chairperson to shape national policy.
Sources
We sourced the above information from the National Black Nurses Foundation.
Dr. C. Alicia Georges
NBNA President 1987–1991
C. Alicia Georges received her bachelor’s of nursing from Seton Hall University, master’s in community health administration from NYU College of Nursing, and doctorate in education from the University of Vermont. At the City University of New York, Dr. Georges is the department chair of the department of nursing. In addition to serving as the fifth president of NBNA, she is on the board of the Black Women’s Health Study, served on the board of directors at AARP since 2010, and was elected as the national volunteer president in 2020. She has served on the Nursing Education and Practice Advisory Council for the US Department of Health and Human Services and received the ANA Mary Mahoney Award for increasing minority representation in nursing.
Sources
We sourced the above information from the American Association of Retired Persons, her website, and the City University of New York .
Dr. Linda Burnes Bolton
NBNA President 1991–1995
Dr. Linda Burnes Bolton received her bachelor’s and master’s in nursing from Arizona State University, and master’s and doctorate in public health from UCLA. In 1991 she became vice president of nursing at Cedars-Sinai, later become becoming senior vice president, director of nursing research, and chief nurse executive until 2019 when she accepted the inaugural role of senior vice president and chief health equity officer. She served as chair for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s National Advisory Committee for Transforming Care at the Bedside and vice chair for Initiative on the Future of Nursing at the Institute of Medicine. In addition to serving as a president of the National Black Nurses Association, she has been named a 2016 living nursing legend by ANA, has received lifetime achievement awards from NBNA and AONL, and has been named a top 25 women in healthcare.
Sources
We sourced the above information from Cedars Sinai, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Nurses On Boards Coalition, and Case Western Reserve University.
Betty Smith Williams
NBNA President 1995–1999
Dr. Betty Smith Williams graduated as the first Black student from Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing in 1954 and went on to become assistant dean at UCLA School of Nursing, dean of the School of Nursing at University of Colorado, founding dean at American University School of Nursing, as well as professor emeritus at California State University. In 1968 she co-founded the Council of Black Nurses in Los Angeles to address inequities of that time and co-founded the National Black Nurses Association in 1971. She was the seventh president of the National Black Nurses Association, president of the National Coalition of the Ethnic Minority Nurse Association, and named as the one of the top 100 influential health leaders.
Sources
We sourced the above information from Case Western Reserve University, Aetna’s African American History Calendar (2003), and WCUI.
Learn More
To learn more about inclusion in nursing and be part of the national discussion to address racism in nursing, check out and share the following resources:
Know Your History
- American Association for the History of Nursing to attend monthly webinars on topics of nursing history, view the calendar here.
- Nursing CLIO to engage with historians and scholars committed to deep work around historical accuracy in healthcare and nursing.
Examine Bias
- NurseManifest to attend live zoom sessions with fellow nurses on nursing’s overdue reckoning on racism or to sign their pledge.
- Breaking Bias in Healthcare, an online course created by scientist Anu Gupta, to learn how bias is related to our brain’s neurobiology and can be mitigated with mindfulness.
Support & Advocate
- National Coalition for Ethnic Minority Nurse Association to stay engaged with topics relevant to nurses of color.
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