Pioneering Contributions: Throughout forty years of service Velma Banks has been deeply committed to empowering the Black community with programs intended to raise people up by deepening knowledge of their cultural history and fostering their capacity for self-improvement. Her first endeavor of this nature was the program Children of the Light, developed to prepare Black youths as they head off to college for their first experiences in a predominantly white environment. Children of the Light aims to enrich children and their families with greater knowledge about the contributions made by Africans and African Americans to the world of culture thereby strengthening their self concept and coping capacity. Dr. John Henrick Clark, noted historian, supported her work, given the findings of his own pioneering research. In fact he sent his own daughter to the program when it began. Banks also created the cultural enrichment program History Makers which encourages community members to embrace their cultural heritage by celebrating the influential work of people of African descent.

For twenty-seven years Banks focused on raising awareness for the work and contributions of Whitney M. Young Jr., a prominent Black social worker instrumental in the formation of the Association of Black Social Workers (ABSW), a past president of the National Association of Social Workers and a member of the "big six" leadership of the civil rights movement. Banks believes that bringing recognition to the teachings and works of Whitney M. Young Jr. will help the field of social work become more sensitive to the unique needs and challenges of the Black community. Her efforts came to fruition in 1992 when she organized a group committed to promoting the legacy of Whitney M. Young Jr.: The World Community of Social Workers.