The National Black Nurses Association, Inc (NBNA) was organized in 1971 under the leadership of Dr. Lauranne Sams, former Dean and Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama. NBNA is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1972 in the state of Ohio and represents approximately 200,000 African American nurses from the USA, Canada, Eastern Caribbean and Africa, with 115 chartered chapters nationwide.
NBNA's mission is to provide a forum for collective action by African American nurses to represent and provide a forum for black nurses to advocate for and implement strategies to ensure access to the highest quality of healthcare for persons of color. NBNA is committed to excellence in education and conducts continuing education programs for nurses and allied health professionals throughout the year. The association provides annual scholarships for students and will implementing the DAISY Health Equity Award to recognize their members. In addition, NBNA collaborates with private and public agencies/organizations that share common concerns for improving the health status of all people, particularly African Americans and other minority consumers.