Our History
The Association of Black Harvard Women was created in 1975 when Harvard women attended Radcliffe College. Avarita Hansen ’75 a senior at that time called together a meeting of black women in Currier House to discuss an idea for how black women would stay together and united after the class of 1975 left. From this one meeting, the women present took up her challenge and created The Association of Black Radcliffe Women (ABRW), later renamed The Association of Black Harvard Women (ABHW) with the merging of Radcliffe College and Harvard College.
ABHW serves as an affinity space and community for Black women and gender marginalized people on Harvard's campus. Additionally, we stand in solidarity with those who relate and empathize with the Black woman's experience in America.
Along with hosting fun social events and organizing pre-professional training sessions, we aim to build a positive and supportive community on Harvard's campus.
We are ABHW --empowered together.
Our Mission
"Let us act as a catalyst in bringing Black women on Harvard University's campus together for academic, cultural, political and social purposes. Let us find strength, support, and courage in our unity and combine our intellect, spirit, and resources so that we may best address the needs and problems of black women at Harvard College and within the University as a whole. Let us be actively engaged, in the larger discourse on womens issues, particularly those pertaining to black women, on Harvard Universitys campus, nationwide, and worldwide and contribute our energies to these causes.Lastly, let us maintain an interest and commitment to the overall black experience, both within and outside of the Harvard community."
- Organization Mission as written in the ABHW Constitution Articles
