On March 21, Mayor Ken Welch celebrated Women’s History Month, honoring the National Council of Negro Women and the Business and Professional Women organizations.
BY RAVEN JOY SHONEL | Staff Writer
ST. PETERSBURG — The City of St. Petersburg celebrated the significant contributions of women during its March 21 city council meeting, marking Women’s History Month.
The National Women’s History Alliance selects a theme each year, with 2024 being “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.” The theme recognizes women everywhere who understand that we must eliminate bias and discrimination from our lives and institutions for a positive future.
Mayor Ken Welch proclaimed March 2024 as Women’s History Month in St. Petersburg, urging residents to celebrate the legacy and profound contribution to society.
Ethel Peeples-Robinson
“As a proud girl-dad, a husband of a Gladiator and father of a gladiator, one of them, and son of an amazing mother, I witness the power and strength of women and girls every day,” said Welch.
There to receive the proclamation was Ethel Peeples-Robinson, president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) Metropolitan Section, and Cory Adler of Business and Professional Women (BPW).
NCNW is a nonprofit organization founded in 1935 to advance the opportunities and quality of life for African-American women, their families and communities. It comprises 330 campus and community-based sections and 33 national women’s organizations that enlighten, inspire and connect more than 2,000,000 women and men.
Peeples-Robinson said she wants the Metropolitan Section of NCNW to be known for more than having the largest Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Breakfast in the country. She wants the organization to be recognized for advocating for families and the community.
“As of today, we have given, along with the Ralph Young Foundation, over $600,000 in scholarships to our students,” she said. “Each year, we give away over 250 Thanksgiving free meals to our communities. That’s how we want to be recognized.”
Starting in 1965, BPW was established for workforce development programs and workplace policies to acknowledge the needs of working women, communities, and businesses. It supports the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs.
“What working women look like now is very different than what we looked like in 1965. So we’ve got people full of wisdom like me, and then we have some young members in their 20s, and our job and our role is to support each other,” said Adler.
