Submitted by Roger Caldwell
The National Congress of Black Women – Orlando Chapter held its first 2022 Meet and Greet on August 6, 2022, to announce and present its new Madam Chair, Ms. Alice Flowers. The event was well attended and was held at the Orange Blossom Trail library. Attendees included Dr. Pam Powell, Dr. Faith Harris, Sen. Geraldine Thompson, Dr. Harriet Roberson, and Ms. Shaniqua Rose.
Co-chair Verna Bickerstaff opened the event by sharing the local organization’s history, and expressing the local members support of Ms. Flowers in her new role.
Flowers comes from humble beginnings and shared her story of how Orlando’s local NCBW chair, the late Ms. Beverlye Colson-Neal, reached out to her after reading the story of her efforts to get legislation passed in Florida that addressed minor child to parent violence. Flowers set out to accomplish this mission following her sister’s abuse by her young biological son for many years, which tragically ended with her being murdered by him. Flowers successfully advocated for and got a bill passed (SB 1694) in the Florida legislature entitled “Support for Parental Victims of Child Domestic Violence,” the first bill of its kind in the U.S.
Ms. Neal was a big proponent of social justice, the elimination of systemic racism, increasing voter turnout, and easy access to voting. Flowers’ vision is to continue the work started by Ms. Neal. “Ms. Neal’s desire to take me under her wing and teach me how to become a more effective advocate for improving the lives of Black people will live with me forever. I will continue the work she was so passionate about. I will never stop fighting to educate our communities on the importance of voting, making quality healthcare accessible to all, and encouraging Black women to seek elected and appointed positions in all levels of government” says Flowers.
In very recent years, Black organizations have struggled to continue serving the community due to the COVID pandemic, and many of their programs have been placed on the back burner. As NCBW begins to host social and political events, they will be contacting other community organizations and leaders to build a strong network of support.
The new chair is a fighter, and, with her vision, will continue to grow NCBW, build stronger partnerships with other community leaders and organizations, and encourage communities to exercise their right to vote.
