Professional organizations are an excellent resource for both current and emerging professionals. Professional organizations provide opportunities for networking, mentorship, and professional development catered to your career goals and interests. These kinds of organizations are frequently centered around specific industries, but they can also be centered around various social identities such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, dis/ability, and more, providing professionals with the opportunity to be in community with other professionals with similar life experiences. Here are some examples of organizations from various industries created by and for Black professionals!
Science, Data, and Technology
Code2040 is a national Black-led non-profit organization supporting early career Black and Latine tech professionals to address issues surrounding the systemic exclusion of Black and Latine professionals in the tech world. Code2040 is leading the conversation on racial equity work in the innovation sector. Their programming includes the Code2040 Fellows Program, a career accelerator for Black and Latinx computer science students (both undergraduate and graduate students) connecting participants with 9 week-long summer internships with top tech companies while participating in learning experiences centering racial equity work, career development tools and tips, and more.
Black Women Talk Tech is a collective of black women tech professionals, founders, entrepreneurs, and innovators founded to pave the way to success for Black women in the tech industry. Their programs and services include their annual Roadmap to Billions conference, the annual Unicorn Ambition conference in collaboration with Black Men Talk Tech, virtual training courses, investor matchmaking, pitch competitions, access to free trials for business tools, a job board and on-demand Webinars.
Business, Finance, Sales, and Marketing
National Economic Association (NEA)
The National Economic Association (originally founded in 1969 as the Caucus of Black Economists) is a professional organization dedicated to increasing the representation of racially minoritized professionals in the economic field. Their programs and services include their annual Allied Social Science Association meeting, their annual summer conference in partnership with The Association for Economic Research of Indigenous Peoples (AERIP) and the American Society of Hispanic Economists (ASHE), a job board, and Webinars.
National Association of Black Accountants (NABA, Inc.)
The National Association of Black Accountants is a professional organization of over 200,000 professionals led by and created for Black people in accounting and business finance. NABA was founded to create more opportunities for Black professionals to enter leadership positions within the field and equip them with the necessary skills to do so. Their programs and services include their Accounting Career Awareness Program and the Accelerated Career Awareness Program (ACAP), accountant certification tracks, the Professional & Student Member Network, scholarships, a job board, and much more!
Black Owned Beauty Supply Association (B.O.B.S.A.)
The Black Owned Beauty Supply Association is an organization focused on supporting and empowering Black-owned beauty companies and supply manufacturers, with over 5,000 members and network partners. They offer resources providing assistance and advice on various aspects of running a business, a directory of Black-owned beauty businesses, brochures, and more. They also have a program in which consumers can directly support the organization and Black-owned businesses through a membership card granting them discounts at Black-owned beauty supply businesses and connecting said businesses with consumers directly.
Healthcare and Wellness
National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing (NBASLH)
The National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing is a professional organization for Black professionals in the Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences field, founded to create a community focused on meeting the needs of both Black professionals within the field and Black patients who have communication disorders. Some of their programs and services include educational and travel-based scholarships for college students, access to publications relevant to the organization and its mission, their Doctoral Research Fair Program, their Academic Needs Emergency Fund, virtual preparation courses for the Praxis Examination in Speech-Language Pathology, and much more!
Association of Black Women Physicians
The Association of Black Women Physicians is a non-profit organization focused on supporting Black women physicians through mentorship opportunities, scholarships, advocacy, and championing the mental health and overall well-being of Black families and communities. Their programs and services include annual scholarships, their Sister to Sister mentorship program, their Speakers Bureau, their annual Charity & Scholarship Benefit Brunch, and more!
Education and Sports
National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE)
The National Alliance of Black School Educators is a professional organization dedicated to promoting the development, growth, and success of Black educators and Black students in the American education system through targeted initiatives, programming, and legislation. Their programs and services include their annual NABSE conference, career fairs and job boards, speakers, local chapters, and more!
National Association of Black Male Educators (NABME)
The National Alliance of Black Male Educators is a professional organization dedicated to promoting quality education for Black students in the United States. They aim to achieve this by supporting and empowering Black and brown male teachers and educators and addressing the lack of representation of Black and brown men in educational spaces.
Arts, Media, and Communications
The Black Film Allegiance is a collective of Black people working in the film and television industry, founded to create visibility for underrepresented creatives in the industry. Their programs and services include their Industry Membership Program, their Directory, and a variety of podcasts and videos.
