July is a powerful month for us – as Americans, as women and as members of NFBPWC.

In the summer of 1776, delegates from the thirteen colonies gathered to formally declare their independence from British rule. On July 4th, the Continental Congress adopted the declaration, marking the birth of a new nation.

In July of 1848, a group of women and men gathered in Seneca Falls, New York for the first women’s rights convention in the United States. Led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, the attendees debated and adopted the Declaration of Sentiments, a powerful document modeled after the Declaration of Independence that called for equal rights for women, including the right to vote. Signed by 100 supporters, the declaration marked the formal beginning of the organized women’s rights movement in the United States.

In July of 1919, Dr. Lena Madesin Phillips brought together representatives from business and professional women’s clubs across the country to a national convention in St. Louis, Missouri. Recognizing the need for a unified voice to advocate for working women, they founded the National Federation of Business & Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc was established. The organization grew quickly, championing women’s financial independence, professional development and equal rights both nationally and internationally.

These three events – each born in July – are connected by more than dates on a calendar. They are bound by a common thread: a courageous act of naming injustice and declaring a vision for something better. The language may vary across the centuries, but the purpose remains the same – we stand for freedom, we stand for equality, and we stand for the rights of individuals to fully participate in society.

It is for this reason; you will find the full text of both the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of Sentiments in this issue. Too often, these foundational documents are reduced to soundbites or inspirational quotes. They deserve more than passing attention – they deserve to be read in full, with the weight and seriousness they command.

These declarations are not just historical artifacts…yellowing with age. They are reminders of where we began, how far we’ve come and the work that still lies ahead. By reading them, we honor the voices of those who dared to speak boldly – and we prepare ourselves to carry that legacy forward with clarity, courage and conviction.

Happy Birthday to us all!

Warm regards,
Barbara Bozeman
President, NFBPWC
2024-2026