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History

The Links, Incorporated celebrates nearly 75 years as a women’s volunteer service organization committed to enriching, sustaining, and ensuring the cultural and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry. A premier international service organization with over 17,000 members in 299 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the United Kingdom, its legacy of friends providing service that changes lives, established by the original circle of nine friends in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1946, is alive and well.

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Margaret Hawkins

Co-founder

Sarah Scott

Co-founder

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The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation, committed to enriching, sustaining, and ensuring the cultural and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry. Originally organized by Margaret Roswell Hawkins, Sarah Strickland Scott, and seven of their friends, these women envisioned an organization that would respond to the unique needs of Black women. Specifically, the club sought to center its focus on the civic, educational, and cultural development of the immediate community. The Links, Incorporated is now a premier international service organization with over 17,000 members in 299 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the United Kingdom. It has a legacy of friends providing service that changes lives.  Established by an original circle of nine friends in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1946, The Links, Incorporated is very much alive and well.

 

The members of The Links, Incorporated are influential decision makers and opinion leaders. The Links, Incorporated has attracted many distinguished women who are individual achievers and who have made a difference in their communities and the world. They are business and civic leaders, role models, mentors, activists, and volunteers who work towards a common vision by engaging like-minded organizations and individuals for partnership.

 

Members of The Links, Incorporated regularly contribute more than 1 million documented service hours in their respective communities annually. The Links Foundation, Incorporated, the philanthropic arm of The Links, Incorporated, has made more than $25 million in charitable contributions since its founding. Working closely with its sponsors and supporters, The Links, Incorporated is focused on creating transformational programming and impacting lives in communities through five facets: Services to Youth, The Arts, National Trends and Services, International Trends and Services, and Health and Human Services.

 

Learn more about the national organization at linksinc.org

The Commonwealth Chapter

The Commonwealth (VA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated has humbly served the Metro Richmond Area since it was chartered in 1998. Through the original leadership of Dr. Cynthia Mayo and Mrs. Marjorie Chrichlow Smith, in 1992 a formal interest group was established under the name of C-WIF (Commonwealth Women Impacting Families). With the support of other local chapters such as the Richmond (VA), James River Valley (VA), and Petersburg (VA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, The Commonwealth (VA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated was formally chartered with 32 members. Chartering officers included the following:

Chartering Members and Officers of The Commonwealth (VA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated

Chartering Officers

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Gertrude Jones

President

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Cynthia Mayo, Ph.D.

Vice President

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Claudia Wall Johnson

Secretary

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Roberta Caston, Ed.D.

Corresponding Secretary

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Marie Moore

Treasurer

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Jacquelyn Joyner, Ph.D.

Archivist

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Margie Booker

Parliamentarian

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Chartering Members

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Rose Adams

Christine Ballard 

Faye Bradley, Ed.D

Beverly Davis 

Delores Dalton 

Denise Dickerson 

Connie Edwards 

Rosalind Everett

Linda Gross

Rosemary Jones 

Pauline Levy 

Vanessa Myers Mason 

Carolyn Murray-Montgomery

Julia Pope 

Shirley Pretlow 

Brenda Price 

Marilyn Royal 

Deborah Jewell-Sherman, Ed.D

Joyce Shockley 

LaVerne Spurlock, Ed.D

Pearl Thomas 

Lornel Tompkins, M.D.

Robbie Thompson 

Jean Williams 

Currently, President Margie R. Booker, a visionary and an original organizer, leads the Commonwealth (VA) Chapter. Through its core values such as friendship, service, family relationships and commitment, the Chapter provides a variety of community services. Additionally, its “hands-on” youth programs span from elementary school to college, addressing the academic emphasis of the Richmond metropolitan area community organizations and educational institutions. Endowed scholarships for students are provided to HBCU colleges and universities in the area.

 

President Margie is a dedicated community leader. “We are proud to provide a variety of services that are designed to enhance the improvement and continued upward mobility of our students,” she states.

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