Afro-American Society

The Afro-American Society at Dartmouth College was founded in 1969 as a means to improve the academic excellence of Black students on campus. Since then it has developed into a dynamic organization dedicated to the enrichment of the quality of life for all students through stimulating academic, cultural, and social programming.

The 2007-2008 Executive Board of the Afro-American Society wishes to fulfill this mission by continuing to promote community interaction among African, African-American, and African-Caribbean students, as well as by placing an increased emphasis on bonding with the greater Dartmouth community. We encourage students of all persuasions to come explore the sheer richness of the “AAm” as we engage in the expression of the political, social, and cultural views of greatest importance to the Black community at Dartmouth and beyond.

In addition, we intend to work intensely to foster and maintain an environment in which students of all backgrounds, but especially students of the Black diaspora, can maximize their ability to contribute to and benefit from the overwhelming breadth of opportunities that Dartmouth has to offer. To that end, it is with great pleasure that we announce this year’s theme: Striving for Excellence. We want to ensure that Black undergraduates realize their potential for excellence and leadership in all facets of Dartmouth life. As such, this year’s programming will afford our members the opportunity to interact with faculty, administrators, and alumnae from a diverse background to discuss such topics as: learning strategies, stress management, traditionally unexplored disciplines, off-campus programs, career exploration, volunteer and research opportunities, and much more! Past programming at the AAm of this nature has vacillated. This year’s Executive Board seeks to change this seeming lack of commitment to Excellence by etching this initiative – the Striving for Excellence Program – into the constitution of the Afro-American Society. In order to see tangible changes, such as higher levels of academic achievement within our community and greater cultural permeation of campus social options, we need to implement tangible solutions. It is in this spirit that we have launched the Striving for Excellence Program for the 2007-2008 academic school year.

But the success of this initiative is up to YOU! We urge you to embrace all aspects of the AAm – from learning about research opportunities and attending cultural expositions to meeting intriguing faculty and “leanin’ back” at our infamous parties -it’s all yours to discover. Remember that this is YOUR organization. We strongly encourage you to take full advantage of our resources – the benefits will prove to be invaluable.