African American Social Workers at the Helm

African American Social Workers at the Helm: Presidential Leadership of National Social Work Organizations during Turbulent Times

Leadership takes many forms.  The focus of this presentation will be Black presidential leadership in national social work organizations.  The three organizations that will be included in this profile are the National Association of Social Work (NASW), National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) and National Urban League (NUL). 

Sandra Edmonds Crewe, MSW, Ph.D., ACSW, is dean and professor at the School of Social Work at Howard University. She is interim director of the PhD program. Dr. Crewe has dedicated her career and life to enhancing the well-being of African Americans through research, scholarship, and public advocacy. Dr Crewe holds her Bachelor’s and Master's degrees in Social Work from the Catholic University’s National Catholic School of Social Service, her Ph.D. in Social Work from Howard University, and a Harvard Leadership and Management in Education certificate.  

A NASW pioneer and founding member of the HBCU School of Social Work Network, Dr. Crewe worked in public and assisted housing as a social worker and senior leader in Maryland for over 20 years. During her tenure as dean, she has launched three dual degree programs (MSW/MBA, MSW/MPH and MSW/MDIV), an MSW online program, and elevated the school to the top 5% of USNWR graduate social work programs.

Dr. Crewe has expertise and publications in caregiving, aging, social isolation, housing, social welfare, and macro social work practice and is a widely sought-after public speaker on leadership, cultural competence, and quality of life for African Americans.
She is co-author of the recent book “Social Work, White Supremacy and Racial Justice.”