Mission and ongoing Legacy
MWDC has advocated for women, families, and children for over 66 years and has been committed to civic engagement at all leve
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About The Metropolitan Women's Democratic Club (MWDC)
About MWDC ~ Our History
The Metropolitan Women's Democratic Club (MWDC) is the oldest known African-American female political club in Washington, D.C., founded in 1960 by journalist and civil rights activist Ethel L. Payne. The club was established in response to racial segregation within labor union chapters and aimed to increase female participation in politics, especially in leadership roles. The MWDC's work focuses on legislation on behalf of women, families, and children at the local, regional, and national levels
MWDC First President: Ethel Payne
Founding and Early Years
Motivating factor: Payne, who worked for the AFL-CIO recruiting African-Americans to join the union.
Political resistance: Frustrated by the union's inaction, Payne and five other women created the MWDC as a political action group to resist the union's lobby for like-minded candidates.
First lifetime member (1973)
November 30, 2023
New White House Lectern Named
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announces that the new lectern in the Jim Brady Briefing Room has been named in honor of Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne, the first two Black women reporters in the White House press corps.
Meetings 2026 -- The Metropolitan Women's Democratic Club
Contact Us
The Metropolitan Women's Democratic Club (MWDC)
Post Office Box 56265, NW, Washington, DC 20040
