BIG NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION CHAPTER
BIG History
Blacks In Government® (BIG) was established in 1975 and incorporated in 1976 by a small group of African Americans at the Public Health Services which is a part of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare in the Parklawn building in Rockville, Maryland. BIG has been a national response to the need for African Americans in public service to organize around issues of mutual concern and use their collective strength to confront workplace and community issues. Today there are over 200 BIG chapters nationwide. These chapters serve as operating arms of the organization, carrying out a variety of programs to meet local needs.
BIG Mission
Blacks in Government (BIG) is a professional organization for the civil service employee. BIG’s mission is to enable all present and future Black employees in Local, State, and Federal governments to have the ability to maximize their career opportunities and provide a mechanism for inclusion, growth and advocacy. We are an advocate of equal opportunity and professional development for Black government employees at the Local, State and Federal government levels and others dedicated to justice for all. BIG is a member focused, world class enterprise, recognized for excellence. We work hard to develop opportunities for our BIG members to connect and share in order to develop a strong, cohesive community. BIG's goals are to promote EQUITY in all aspects of American life, EXCELLENCE in public service, and OPPORTUNITY for all Americans!
Our BIG NSF Chapter
The BIG NSF Chapter Interest Group was established in August 2020 and the BIG NSF Chapter was chartered and approved as a financial affiliate of BLACKS IN GOVERNMENT (BIG), INC in August 2021. Today there are over 80 BIG NSF Chapter members representing NSF employees and associate members from the Senior Executive Service (SES), administrative, science, and technical job fields. As a local chapter within Region Xl, BIG NSF Chapter works hard to advocate for African Americans and individuals representing all ethnic backgrounds at NSF, emphasize the importance of self-growth and professional development, and promote a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access for our members.
