The Brooklyn Chapter of The Links, Incorporated Our History

Chartered in 1952, The Brooklyn Chapter of  The Links, Incorporated, an organization of African-American professional women, is dedicated to the support of educational, civic, and cultural activities in Brooklyn. Working under the guidelines of our national organization, The Links, Incorporated, the Brooklyn Chapter of Links has a legacy of providing outstanding programs and services to our Brooklyn community in the areas of the Arts, Services to Youth, National Trends and Services, International Trends and Services and Health and Human Services.

In 1950, Doris Guinier, with the inspiration and guidance of Dorothy Reed, (Greater New York Chapter) started organizing our Brooklyn Chapter.  After  two years of hard work on November 15, 1952 the Brooklyn Chapter was established.. The Greater New York Chapter was our sponsor. Installing officers were Estelle Anderson, Ethel Lowry, Dorothy Reed, Gertrude Thomas, and Lois Holt. The ladies held a luncheon which included the seventeen Brooklyn Chapter charter members and the installing officers. On the head table, at the ceremony, were two storks which represented the “two mothers” of the Brooklyn Chapter, founder Doris Guinier and our sponsor, Dorothy Reed. Brooklyn Chapter was the 54th chapter to the chartered and Kay Hamilton Dixon was the first president.

In 1960, alarmed by the abnormally high dropout rate of Brooklyn’s African American teenagers from city high schools, the Brooklyn Links initiated Salute to Youth to encourage and reward academic and artistic excellence. Geared towards youngsters from the Brooklyn communities, this two-pronged program gives assistance to college-bound seniors through scholarships and personal counseling. The program also provides public recognition and financial awards for high school students who have demonstrated exceptional talent in the visual arts, music, dance, drama and creative writing. Through the Salute to Youth Project, our 501(c)(3) arm, the Chapter has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the borough’s youth. It has a decades long record of service that is unmatched in providing scholarships and monetary awards to college-bound youth of African descent from Brooklyn.