National Organization of Coloured Graduate Nurses

The National Organization of Colored Graduate Nurses (NOCGN) was an American organization that played a crucial role in advancing racial equality within the nursing profession. During World War II, the NOCGN effectively leveraged the urgent need for nurses to advocate for the desegregation of both military nursing corps and professional nursing associations.1

This advocacy led to significant progress, including the desegregation of the American Nurses Association (ANA) in 1949. Following the achievement of its primary goals, the NOCGN dissolved in 1951. However, by the late 1960s, some African American nurses felt that the ANA was not adequately addressing their specific concerns, leading to the formation of the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) in 1971.1