Marilyn Johnson sworn in as President of National Council of Negro Women's Austin Section

AUSTIN, TX – Marilyn Johnson, an international women’s advocate and IBM vice president responsible for helping businesses owned, led and influenced by women around the world to start, manage and grow their businesses, was recently sworn in as president of the Austin Section of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). The ceremony, which took place in the chambers of Texas Civil Court Judge Lorna Livinston, was a prelude to the national organization’s 75th anniversary celebration and the beginning of a new era of “relevancy, action and impact” for the organization’s local branch.

Founded in 1935 by educator, activist, and presidential advisor Mary McLeod Bethune, and led for nearly five decades by Dr. Dorothy Height, the grand dame of the civil rights movement, the National Council of Negro Women is dedicated to leading, developing and giving voice to the concerns of African-American Women. With 39 affiliates and more than 240 sections in the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean, the Council connects some four million women worldwide, addressing issues of human welfare and rights through education, service and advocacy, and providing national and community-based programs designed to enhance opportunities and the quality of life for Black women. The NCNW’s Austin Section was established in the 1960s to bring African-American women together in a culturally supportive atmosphere that enables them to work collectively on behalf of the women of Austin and their families. Over the pastfour decades, the Section has sponsored “Women of Color” entrepreneurs’ workshops, educational and professional networking forums, and cultural events that bring the entire community together to celebrate its African-American heritage. Under Johnson’s two-year tenure, the organization will encourage African-American women throughout the city to take better care of their health, providing awareness programs and information that will assist them in losing weight, establishing an exercise regimen, lowering their blood pressure, and reducing stress. Johnson will also put her vast experience in the information technology industry to work to help the organization maintain closer ties to the community and other NCNW affiliates and sections.

Marilyn Johnson joined the Hudson Valley Section of the National Council of Negro Women in 1994 while working at IBM world headquarters in Armonk, NY. A few years later, she was appointed IBM’s executive liaison to the organization. In 1997, Dr. Height personally asked Johnson to join the Council’s national Board of Directors. She served two terms as the Board’s recording secretary, and lent her expertise to a successful campaign that helped retire the mortgage on the NCNW’s national headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. Johnson also served on a number of Council planning committees, helping the organization to chart a path for continued leadership and service in the 21st century.

Over the years, Johnson developed a very close relationship with Dr. Height. In the wake of her death in April at age 98, accepting the presidency of the Austin Section was Johnson’s way of honoring Height and continuing her work. “I consider myself so fortunate to have had Dr. Height in my life as a mentor and a friend,” Johnson said, “and among the many things that she bequeathed to me was a moral imperative to “pay it forward”  by giving back to our elders, youth and community our real treasures – time, thoughts and talents. Working with the women of the National Council of Negro Women’s Austin Section will enable me to pay Dr. Height what she would consider to be the greatest tribute, and that is helping to groom our community’s next generation of dynamic servant leaders. ”

In congratulating Johnson on her presidency, Dr. Barbara L. Shaw, the National Council of Negro Women’s National Chair, said: “The legacy left to us by Drs. Height and Bethune lives on in the vision and commitment of Marilyn Johnson and the officers of our other sections and affiliates. These women know that the best way to stand up for ourselves and our families is by joining hands with others, and I look forward to the meaningful difference NCNW will make in our communities under their leadership.”

Contact: Wanda McKenzie/ IBM Market Development/ (404) 487-1762/ mckenzie@us.ibm.com