Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley: the NCNW’s Fight for Black Women

The journey to justice for Black families is inextricably tied to the stability and leadership of Black women. When systems fail, it is often Black women who are the primary caregivers, breadwinners, and community architects who bear the brunt of the crisis. As we face this reality, it was a pleasure and privilege to have Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, President and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), a national movement founded by the legendary Dr. Mary McLeod to advance the interests of Black women and families, on The Legal Lens Podcast. During this riveting episode, we discussed the historic organization’s 90 years of advocacy, the immediate threats to Black women’s economic stability, and the pivotal role of the Black church in the modern liberation movement.

For a deeper, more convenient dive into these critical topics, I encourage you to listen to our full discussion on The Legal Lens Podcast. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Simplecast, and everywhere you get your podcasts for free, or you can listen in below:

Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley on the NCNW’s 90-Year Fight for Black Women, Economic Justice, and the Power of the Black Church!

I am confident you will be both enlightened and inspired by this candid and captivating discussion with the eminent Reverend Dr. Shavon Arline-Bradley, a leader who is ensuring the NCNW remains a vibrant, front-line force. Out of respect, you will notice I refer to her at times as Reverend and other times as Doctor to honor her distinguished accomplishments. Here are the timestamps and topics covered:

5:35 – Rev. Dr. Shavon Arline-Bradley’s Personal Path to Faith and Justice Advocacy
9:55 – NCNW’s 90-Year Mission: From Mary McLeod Bethune to Direct Action
17:25 – The Devastating Impact of Government Layoffs & Economic Gaps on Black Women
20:45 – The Unconstitutional Attack on DEI and Merit
29:50 – The Pivotal Role of the Black Church vs. White Christian Nationalism
35:25 – A Message of Eternal Hope and the Call to Action

Who is Reverend Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley?

Dr. Shavon Arline-Bradley’s commitment to service was instilled early in a home where her father was a principal and her mother was a corporate executive. She remembered that her family always believed in education first, inspiring her to follow in her parents’ footsteps.

Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley’s path to advocacy was cemented at age nine when her godfather asked permission to show her the documentary Eyes on the Prize.

“It was the first time I saw Emmett Till’s face with context. I had stolen my grandmother’s Jet magazine. She still had it from 1955, and I put two and two together and realized that was the same face. At that time, my uncle, who was a Baptist preacher, was part of the Democrats of New Jersey. So, I grew up in a house that was super traditional. We didn’t do women preachers. We weren’t allowed to. So my life has kind of been full-circle in that I grew up very traditional, and the evolution of the amount of social justice work that I was exposed to very early turned into my background in healthcare, advocacy, faith, and justice,” said Rev. Arline-Bradley.

Her early exposure to the violence and injustice of the Civil Rights era, coupled with her upbringing in southern New Jersey near the, which was the nexus of liberation, that is Philadelphia, established her lifelong work in health, advocacy, faith, and justice.

“I’m a Camden, New Jersey girl, so I grew up in close proximity to Philadelphia. Philadelphia’s a massive place of liberation. So you have the Liberty Bell, but you also have the AME Church that was founded there, and all the Founding Fathers who had slaves. It was a very interesting time, and there was a kind of Black renaissance that was happening in our area,” remembered Dr. Arline-Bradley.

Before leading NCNW, Dr. Arline-Bradley served in the Obama administration at the Department of Health and Human Services, working directly with the 19th U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy.

She is an ordained minister, serving on the ministerial staff at Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, and is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., The Links, and Jack and Jill of America, and one of the Executive Leaders with the NAACP.

In 2024, she was named among the Women Who Mean Business by the Washington Business Journal. Her upbringing in a family-first environment was also on full display as she shouted out her amazing husband and children, crediting them for the impact she has been able to have.

“I went on to follow my father’s and family’s footsteps to become successful in terms of degrees, but the justice work was what stuck with me. That has shaped my life, and at the center of all of it was our relationship with the Lord. That’s why the ministry and movement have become my life’s work,” said Dr. Arline-Bradley with pride.

The NCNW’s Mission: Direct Service and Direct Action

Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley then provided a history of the National Council of Negro Women, founded on December 5th, 1935, nearly 90 years ago, by the legendary Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. This history, she revealed, defined its purpose.

“A lot of people have heard the name Mary Bethune before and know her for being the first Black woman to found a university for girls in Florida, Bethune-Cookman University. But she also founded the National Council of Negro Women on December 5th, 1935, almost 90 years ago. It centered around Black women agreeing on empowering, leading, and advocating for women of African descent, their descent, their families, and communities,” said Rev. Arline-Bradley.

Today, Rev. Dr. Arline-Bradley is the first President and CEO under the NCNW’s new civil rights infrastructure, providing hands-on help.

“We’re touching the direct needs of our community, from feeding the homeless to ensuring that students have meals for school. We do education and awareness, but we also take direct action. If you see this purple,” Rev. Arline- Bradley said, referring to an item she was wearing, “I wear purple all the time because that is our signature purple power.”

In conjunction with the work of other trailblazers in the space of education, economic development, healthcare, and social justice, NCNW’s mission is executed through a dual approach – Direct Service and Direct Action:

Direct Service: NCNW’s 374 chapters (sections) meet immediate community needs, from feeding the homeless to ensuring students have meals. They focus on core priorities: education, economic development, healthcare, and social justice.
Direct Action: NCNW works on legislation and activates purple power in state houses and on Capitol Hill to fight the systems that cause our people to have the needs their Direct Service addresses. They stand on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., as the only Black and woman-owned building between the White House and the Capitol.

The Economic Crisis: Layoffs, Shutdowns, and the Impact on Black Women

One of the most urgent issues discussed was the disproportionate economic impact of recent government instability on Black women and families. Dr. Arline-Bradley provided sobering statistics:

Job Loss: “Over 318,000 jobs” have been lost, and the unemployment rate for Black women has surged “from 4% to over 7% in nine months.”
Care and Income: “Black women, in many cases, are often the highest earners in their homes and are caretakers for both parents and children.”
Middle Class Erosion: “One-in-five government workers is African American” (over 20%), and government jobs have historically been instrumental in building the Black middle class. “Black women are the fastest-growing business owners in the country,” too. This recent economic downturn threatens to take us many years back in our efforts to try to at least get to the middle class.

“We’re seeing that Black women and families are at risk. When Black women are not working, then families suffer, children go hungry, mortgages can’t be paid, and utilities cannot be paid. This is why, when you have an economic experience like this, schools and health care are more important because these things fall by the wayside when our Sisters are unable to earn a living,” said Dr. Arline-Bradley.

In response, Rev. Arline-Bradley mentioned that NCNW is driving urgent direct service, including job fairs for furloughed workers and launching Project RISE (Resources for Investments, Savings, and Economic Development and entrepreneurship) to support financial literacy and wealth creation.

Attacks on DEI, Merit, and Health Equity

The current economic distress has been intensified by intentional policy attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

“We have to be honest. The intentional attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion have disproportionately affected Black women because many Black women served in those roles. There’s been a kind of trickle-down effect since 2023 when we saw the Affirmative Action ruling, which was centered around higher education, but many corporate spaces and government officials have used that as a way to deem it unconstitutional to activate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, suggesting that there was a ‘merit’ issue,” said Rev. Arlien-Bradley.

Dr. Shavon Arline-Bradley connected the DEI rollback to job loss, noting that many Black women served in DEI, human resources, and Chief People Officer roles, compounding the dilemma. She minced no words, challenging the false premise of a ‘merit issue.’

“Black women are the most educated group in this country, so how can the most educated be underpaid, underrepresented in the workforce, and there not be ramifications? It’s impossible to look at the facts and think that these people don’t deserve what they have accomplished,” said Rev. Arline-Bradley.

She then pointed to the photograph of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to illustrate the myths and misconceptions she is combating and the consequences of them.

“There have been people who have said, well, she was a DEI hire. No, she was a qualified black woman who would’ve never gotten the opportunity without legal and intentional opportunities made for her to come to the table with her merit. Without that, this doesn’t happen,” explained Dr. Arline-Bradley.

We also addressed health equity, noting that the government shutdown was predicated on a disagreement surrounding the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“I’m looking at this current shutdown being predicated on a disagreement around the subsidies and tax credits being extended for the Affordable Care Act, and this is not a partisan issue. For the American people, the Affordable Care Act has allowed them to have premiums that families can afford. If these subsidies run out, which they’re scheduled to do on December 31st, you’ll see premiums double for families who are already on fixed incomes. So, effectively, our country’s health and welfare are predicated on partisan politics,” explained Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley.

NCNW continues its public health campaign, “Good Health Wins,” to ensure vaccine education and black family health, pushing back against the rise of eradicated diseases like polio and measles.

“I’m very concerned, and I believe the American people will have to push to tell their legislators what they expect at this moment. It’s also more important than ever to activate and use your constitutional right as a voter to make your voice heard,” said Dr. Arline-Bradley.

The Black Church: Liberation vs. White Christian Nationalism

As an ordained minister, Dr. Shavon Arline-Bradley provided profound theological insights into the current tensions around faith and politics.

“I have been dealing heavily with the tensions of what it means to understand Christianity at this moment, in the American context. I’ve been watching Social Media and observing a lot of the fights there, and I’ve been mortified by all of them. I’m going to be frank with you. This intentional plan to try to demonize the Black church, as if the Black Church has been the problem, is my issue with all of these conversations,” said Rev. Arline-Bradley.

Just as importantly, she drew a sharp distinction between Christianity and what she terms “white Christian nationalism.” She also explained that the political movement has co-opted the word evangelical, which simply means “spreading the good news”.

“I grew up in an evangelical space and a Black Baptist space. I was raised very traditionally. What I want people to understand is that there is no such thing as the flag being the undergird of Christ, and this is the challenge. There is this Christian nationalism that is forging so far ahead and is activating on what they think are Jesus’ values, but are actually American values. I’m convinced that if we don’t get people back to understanding what it means to activate Christ and live the values of our Lord and Savior, then we’re going to continue going down this road of division,” explained Dr. Arline-Bradly.

Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley defended the historical and ongoing role of the Black church.

“The Black church was, is, and continues to be an institution that is an integral part of the American experience because white churches would not allow blacks to serve. We came here as African slaves to be given a portion of the experience of Christianity, and the enslaved Black families learned to experience Jesus for themselves. The beauty of the Black Christian experience is that resilience. It represents the liberation from the systems and in our souls,” said Dr. Arline-Bradley when ruminating on the vital role the Black church has played in the United States.

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A Message of Eternal Hope

Though the current climate presents immense challenges, Reverend Dr. Arline-Bradley insisted on closing the conversation with a powerful, faith-based message of hope and resilience.

“This hope is eternal. If you have a relationship with God, if you know you’re here for something bigger than yourself, if you understand that you come from a historical context with ancestors who have bled and died and have given you the same resilience in your blood that they had, you have to have hope. You have to look at who we are as a people, the accomplishments that we have made as a community, and even as a country. The hope I have is that God is in Control. God sits over all of this, and the more that we do our work, the more that we commit to justice and unite as a people, and the more we remove our egos and the intentionality is brought forward, I believe we’re going to be able to see the other side of this,” said Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradly.

Do You Want to Hear More Powerful Insights from Experts and Activists Like Rev. Dr. Shavon Arline-Bradley? Subscribe to and Download the Legal Lens Podcast Today!

Our essential discussion with Reverend Dr. Shavon Arline-Bradley revealed that the fight for economic, social, and spiritual justice is more urgent than ever. Her message, rooted in the resilience of Black women and the 90-year legacy of NCNW, is one of action and unwavering faith. We strongly encourage all of our listeners to follow the essential work of the NCNW and celebrate their 90th anniversary, visit their website at www.ncnw.org, and follow them on social media at @NCNWhq.

Stay informed, inspired, and empowered. Listen to this episode of The Legal Lens Podcast on Simplecast to hear Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley’s full, moving perspective, and subscribe to never miss a critical conversation!

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This communication is not legal advice. It is educational only. For legal advice, consult with an experienced employment law attorney in your state or city.