In the 1890s there was an influx of free Blacks arriving from the West Indies, the United States and the Maritimes to work on the construction of the railways.
Charles Este, who was pastor of the West End Union United Church, the Black community's oldest religious institution,[3] emerged as the leader of the NCC.
The NCC was a member of the Red Feather of Montreal [1], which provided financial support for the work of the centre and was the precursor to Centraide.
Jazz pianists Oscar Peterson and Oliver Jones crafted their skill on the NCC piano after school and on weekends.
The major development was the Ville Marie Expressway on the north side of St. Antoine street which brought the destruction of over 850 homes.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a citizen group issued a call for the revival of the NCC and held a march on August 1 to support the idea[13]