Our Founders

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Margaret Rosell Hawkins and Sarah Scott Strickland envisioned an organization that would respond to the needs and aspirations of Black women in ways that existing clubs did not. It was their intent that the club would have a threefold mission – civic, educational, and cultural. Based on these objectives, the club would implement programs, which its founders hoped would foster cultural appreciation through the arts; develop richer inter-group relations; and help women who participated to understand and accept their social and civic responsibilities.

In addition to the two founders, the original members of the Philadelphia Club were Links Frances Atkinson, Katie Green, Marion Minton, Lillian Stanford, Myrtle Manigault Stratton, Lillian Wall, and Dorothy Wright. The club elected Margaret Hawkins as president, Sarah Scott as vice president, Myrtle Manigault Stratton as recording secretary, Frances Atkinson as corresponding secretary, and Dorothy Wright as treasurer. The first National Assembly was held in Philadelphia in 1949. Delegates were present from Atlantic City, Baltimore, Central New Jersey, Petersburg, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Raleigh, Saint Louis, Wilmington, Delaware, and Wilson Rocky Mount-Tarboro Chapters. The Links organization was incorporated in 1951.

Today, The Links, Incorporated celebrates 75 years as one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations composed of extraordinary women who are committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the cultural and economic survival of African-Americans and other persons of African ancestry. There are more than 16,000 members in 299 chapters located in 42 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the United Kingdom.

Our Chapters are distributed among four geographic areas:

Southern Area
Alabama, Bahamas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Eastern Area
Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Central Area
Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Western Area
Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.

Our members work toward the realization of making the name “Links” not only a chain of friendship but also a chain of purposeful service.

Read more about The Links, Incorporated

The Links, Incorporated headquarters:

1200 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC  20005
Tel.:   202-842-8686
Fax:   202-842-4020