Throughout our history, YWCA has been in the forefront of most major movements in the United States as a pioneer in race relations, labor union representation, and women empowerment. Throughout the past and into the future, the YWCA continues to fight injustices. See our extensive history below!
YWCA Kalamazoo celebrates our 140th Anniversary of service to our community.
In response to a period of renewed oppression, YWCA Kalamazoo launches a series of Community Solidarity Sessions to collaborate and strategize with fellow organizations around needs in the community.
YWCA Kalamazoo joins the ACLU in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Michigan’s ban on Medicaid coverage for abortion care.
Attorney General Nessel, partnering with YWCA Kalamazoo’s Antitrafficking program, prosecutes the first successful labor trafficking conviction in Michigan.
YWCA Kalamazoo welcomes Susan Rosas as CEO, a second generation American and survivor. Under her leadership, sweeping changes are implemented to internal operations to increase employee benefits and provide equitable pay.
YWCA Kalamazoo hosts Gov. Whitmer as she signs three bills expanding gun restrictions for domestic abusers.
YWCA Kalamazoo successfully champions the passage of Proposal 3 amending Michigan’s constitution to explicitly affirm Michigander’s fundamental rights to abortion, birth control, prenatal care and childbirth.
YWCA Kalamazoo launches the only comprehensive Reproductive Health Fund in the nation that provides support for gender affirming care, abortion services and doula care.
YWCA Kalamazoo opens our second childcare center – The Dreamery at Edison – the first, and only, childcare center offering 2nd/3rd shift scheduled care and 24-hour drop-in services in Michigan.
YWCA Kalamazoo is selected as one of three organizations to lead YWCA USA’s efforts to end school pushout for youth of color through the Strong Attendance For Every Student (S.A.F.E) Act.
YWCA Kalamazoo details new strategic Focus Areas to advance racial and gender equity: Improving The Lives of Children, Advocacy and Systems Change, Promoting Maternal and Child Health, and Caring for Victims of Abuse.
A time of major growth and expansion of YWCA Kalamazoo and its programs, growing from 40 to nearly 200 employees.
YWCA Kalamazoo Launches Men’s Breakfast, engaging men in the community to discuss healthy masculinity as prevention
during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
YWCA Kalamazoo opens Koru House – the first shelter for women and men survivors of labor and sex trafficking in Michigan.
YWCA Kalamazoo launches our Women and Infant Supportive Health (WISH) program, the only home visitation program in Kalamazoo County that has no eligibility restrictions.
YWCA Kalamazoo launches the only comprehensive human trafficking program in Michigan serving 10 counties.
YWCA launches YWCA Is On A Mission brand awareness campaign to deepen YWCA’s impact in local communities and on the national scale.
Cradle Kalamazoo was launched to bring together community leaders and organizations to implement research-informed and holistic interventions to reduce Black infant mortality.
YWCA formally changes their corporate name from the “Young Women’s Christian Association” to “YWCA USA” reflecting our commitment to social justice, no matter the religion.
YWCA USA’s Stand Against Racism becomes a national signature campaign reaching over 700 locations across the nation.
YWCA USA develops a Mission Impact Framework and Theory of Change to focus and clarify our diverse body of work in racial justice and civil rights, women and girls’ health and safety, and women and girls’ empowerment and economic advancement.
Stand Against Racism becomes a signature campaign of YWCA USA reaching over 700 locations across the country.
The corporate name changed from “Young Women’s Christian Association of the United States of America, Inc.” to “YWCA USA, Inc.”, effective December 15, 2015.
YWCA Kalamazoo hires its first Black CEO, Dr. Grace Lubwama.
Over 2 million people participate in YWCA programs at more than 1,300 sites across the United States.
YWCA USA transitions from an internal national coordinating board to a new board of directors driven by women of influence as well as YWCA leaders.
At YWCA’s Annual Meeting in May 2012, a transition from the prior regional structure to a national federated structure was approved, followed by the adoption of new bylaws in November 2012.
YWCA Kalamazoo expands housing options for survivors and their children including the launch of our Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) program. Our housing programs were the first of their kind to support unhoused children who may not have otherwise been served.
YWCA Kalamazoo launches an annual Summit on Racism to address housing, education and employment initiatives designed to disrupt institutional racism in our community via team action plans.
YWCA celebrated its sesquicentennial anniversary, 150 years of service, with the launch of the “Own It” campaign. The campaign focused on igniting a new generation of 22 million young women aged 18 to 34, inspiring them to get involved with important issues facing women and the country today.
YWCA of Trenton, N.J. and YWCA Princeton, N.J. establish the “Stand Against Racism” campaign, which spreads to 39 states with over a quarter million participants.
YWCA Kalamazoo begins Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner services in the former fitness facility space.
Igniting the Collective Power of YWCA to Eliminate Racism, YWCA USA’s Summit on Eliminating Racism was held in Birmingham, Alabama.
YWCA USA launches a new logo to include the statement of Eliminating Racism and Empowering Women.
Steps to Absolute Change was adopted. YWCA shifted from a top-down to a bottom-up grassroots organization. Local associations joined regions and elected their regional representatives to the National Coordinating Board.
YWCA Kalamazoo closes our Fitness Center to focus on services for vulnerable populations and system change work.
YWCA USA creates the Racial Justice and Economic Empowerment Hallmark Initiative.
YWCA’s Week Without Violence was created as a nationwide effort to unite people against violence in communities. The annual observance is held in the third week of October.
YWCA’s National Day of Commitment to Eliminate Racism began in response to the beating of Rodney King, an African American man, the acquittal of four white Los Angeles police officers accused of the crime, and the subsequent riots and unrest across the country.
YWCA’s National Board urges Congress to support legislation that opposes the South African policy of apartheid.
YWCA establishes Fund For The Future.
YWCA started the ENCORE program for women who had undergone breast cancer surgery.
YWCA’s National Convention, held in Houston, adopted the One Imperative: “To trust our collective power towards the elimination of racism, wherever it exists, by any means necessary.”
The National Board of YWCA created the Office of Racial Justice to lead the civil rights efforts.
The Atlanta, Georgia, YWCA cafeteria opened to African Americans, becoming the city’s first integrated public dining facility.
National Convention commits local Associations and the National Board to review progress towards inclusiveness and decides on “concrete steps” to be taken.
The National Convention pledges that YWCA will work for integration and full participation of minority groups in all phases of American life.
Interracial Charter adopted by the 17th National Convention.
The National Board appears at the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate hearings in support of permanent Fair Employment Practices Committee legislation.
YWCA extends its services to Japanese American women and girls incarcerated in World War II Relocation Centers.
YWCA in Columbus, Ohio, establishes a desegregated dining facility and is cited by The Columbus Urban League “for a courageous step forward in human relations.”
YWCA encouraged members to speak out against lynching and mob violence, and for interracial cooperation and efforts to protect African Americans’ basic civil rights.
Grace Dodge Hotel completed construction of a Washington, D.C. residence initially designed to house women war workers.
Based on its work with women in industrial plants, YWCA’s Convention voted to work for “an eight-hour/day law, prohibition of night work, and the right of labor to organize.”
YWCA was the first organization to send professional workers overseas to provide administrative leadership and support to U.S. Armed Forces.
YWCA held the first interracial conference in Louisville, Kentucky.
YWCA was the first industrial federation of clubs to train girls in self-government.
YWCA of the USA incorporated in New York City.
YWCA was the first organization to introduce the positive health concept and sex education in all health programming.
The United States of America, England, Sweden, and Norway together created World YWCA, which today is working in over 125 countries.
The first YWCA for Native American women opened in at Haworth Institute in Chilocco, Oklahoma.
The first African American YWCA branch opened in Dayton, Ohio.
YWCA opens a low-cost summer “resort” for employed women in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
YWCA opens the first employment bureau in New York City.
“YWCA” was first used in Boston, Massachusetts.
The first boarding house for female students, teachers and factory workers opened in New York, New York.
The first Association in the U.S., Ladies Christian Association, was formed in New York City.
