[citation needed] The new group was convened in Detroit by Fr Herman A. Porter, who sent out a call to Black Catholic clergy nationwide.
The group discussed the situation before them, and formulated a statement that, after being published, made waves within the Church, largely due to its opening line:The Catholic Church in the United States, primarily a white racist institution, has addressed itself primarily to white society and is definitely a part of that society.
On the contrary, we feel that her primary, though not exclusive work, should be in the area of institutional, attitudinal and societal change.
The group has continued to meet annually since, including in a joint conference with the NBSC and the National Black Seminarians' Association (NBCSA), a constituent organization of the NBCCC.
[2] Each year during the Black Catholic Joint Conference with Black sisters, seminarians, deacons and their wives, the NBCCC bestows the Fr Joseph M. Davis Award for lifetime achievement, so named in honor of the NBCCC's first executive director.