By: Muriel Cooper, Senior Manager Relationship Development and Stakeholder Engagement
You might call them supporting partners.
You might describe them as community champions, campaign surrogates, life-balancers, or quiet strategists.
But for nearly five decades, the spouses of members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) have been something far greater:
Collaborators. Conveners. Catalysts for change. And always — partners in purpose.
Behind some of the nation’s most influential Black lawmakers stands a network of dedicated leaders in their own right — individuals who have transformed partnership into public service and proximity into power for good.
Who Are the CBC Spouses?
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Spouses are the wives and husbands of Black members of the United States Congress who serve in the Congressional Black Caucus. Today, the organization includes 34 spouses — nearly half of whom are men — reflecting the evolving and dynamic face of partnership in public life.
Established in 1976 as a component of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), the CBC Spouses organization advances the Foundation’s mission to inform public policy, educate the public, and cultivate the next generation of leaders.
What began as a supportive network has grown into a strategic and philanthropic force — one deeply aligned with CBCF’s commitment to leadership development and educational equity.
Their work has been highlighted nationally, including in the Washington Informer’s 2024 feature on the CBC Spouses, which captures both their history and their continued impact:
And…They Do What?
The short answer?
They build opportunity.
They open doors that were once closed.
They invest in futures.
From the earliest days, CBC Spouses recognized a troubling reality, Black students were navigating inequitable education systems while federal investments in education were shrinking. Rather than stand on the sidelines, they stepped forward.
Their advocacy helped lay the groundwork for CBCF’s now nationally recognized internship and fellowship programs — initiatives that have shaped thousands of leaders serving in government, business, nonprofit organizations, media, and advocacy spaces across the country.
In 1988, the CBC Spouses established their first education scholarship program. Since then, they have awarded more than $12 million in scholarships, supporting almost three generations of students nationwide. For many recipients, a CBC Spouses scholarship represents not just financial assistance but validation, visibility, and belief. Their presence has been felt in the halls of Congress, in classrooms and libraries, and in communities throughout America.
The impact of the CBC Spouses extends well beyond scholarship awards. They are deeply involved in the work year-round.
- They serve as reviewers and mentors for the CBC Spouses Essay Contest, encouraging young scholars to think critically about public policy and civic leadership.
- They power signature fundraising efforts like the Mervyn L. and Stephanie Tubbs Jones Scholarship Classic, generating critical resources that expand access to higher education.
- They show up — consistently — at CBCF’s Annual Legislative Conference Community Breakfast and Health Fair, helping expand outreach to families and underserved communities while connecting policy conversations to lived experience.
In visible and invisible ways, they strengthen the ecosystem that sustains leadership development. They serve as ambassadors of mission, connectors of community, and champions for equity.
And they do so not for recognition but for results.
As the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation commemorates its 50th anniversary under the theme Rooted. Ready. Rising., we honor the spouses who have provided a cornerstone of our structure and mission.
Rooted in service.
Ready to respond to community needs.
Rising to meet each new generation with opportunity.
For nearly half a century, CBC Spouses have proven that partnership in public life can be a powerful platform for progress.
Their story is not just one of support.
It is a story of strategy, stewardship, and sustained impact.
And it is still being written.