Harambee House celebrates 40th anniversary

At the onset of a new academic year, a part of campus history reached another milestone—Harambee House, the cultural center for the African-American community at Wellesley, had officially entered its 40th year of service. The house used to belong to the society Alpha Kappa Chi, which no longer exists. It was reopened in the fall of 1970 with the aim to provide a central resource for the emotional, cultural and social needs of black students. A hub of support for these students, Harambee House is considered a "home away from home" for many students.

A stately building propped up on white pillars, Harambee House features a spacious living room tastefully decorated with Africana-inspired paintings and sculptures. Nearby is the kitchen, a favorite of Cassandra Eddington ‘12, an English and Africana studies double major, recipient of a Mellon-Mays fellowship and student staff member at Harambee. "I love the kitchen [in Harambee]," Eddington said. "There's a big table there where people do homework while others are cooking Jamaican food. It's the comforting feeling that surrounds you when your mom is cooking in the kitchen." Adjacent to the living room is the library, a treasure trove of Africana resources and documentaries, featuring photo albums filled with faces at celebrations held more than a decade ago. Because of its inspiring features, Harambee House is a meeting space for four organizations: Ethos, Wellesley African Students Association (WASA), Women for Caribbean development (WCD) and the National Society of Black Engineers.

Along with the magnificent study and relaxation space it provides, the house also hosts a plethora of cultural shows, lectures, and receptions. "We've had some really fun speakers, like LeVar Burton," Joy Clarke '11 a Political Science major, co-president of Ethos and Harambee student staff member of four years," said.

Quintessence Day, an event hosted by Ethos, has also hosted several notable speakers including Queen Latifah, Reverend Jessie Jackson and Maya Angelou.

This past week, students of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls visited Wellesley and the Harambee House. While on campus they met with students. One student commented, "Visiting Wellesley was an empowering experience...they made us feel like we belonged."

Black History month, held in February, is another major event that Harambee faculty and student staff members help to plan. It is a month-long marathon that has featured everything from speeches by survivors of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing to Black History Jeopardy—a friendly competition that rewarded student with a trip to the Virgin Islands.

The story of Harambee House is wrapped in history. Students who have made Harambee House their home cannot help but be fascinated by the lives of alumnae who have also passed through. Edem Dzubey ‘11, an economics and Africana studies double major and a long-time staff member at Harambee, fell in love with a certain videotape she found while browsing through Harambee's library. "It's great to see how certain things have stayed the same, even the most trivial things," she laughs. "I found a really old video of black students at Wellesley talking about their experiences here, and like we do, they were discussing the classic debate: which school has better boys—Harvard or MIT?"

To the delight of many, Harambee House hosts events for alumnae every year, strengthening the much-craved bond between Harambee fans of the past and the present. Clarke, whose own mother was an alumna and frequenter of Harambee, reminisces about the alumnae gathering for Ethos' own 40th anniversary, which she attended as a first-year. "An alumna's grandmother was talking about the struggle of black women in the 50's," Clarke recalls. "Her words really moved me. Since then, I've always associated this place with strong black women and strong women in general."

Despite the cycles of physical renovations, student protests and change of staff members the House has seen, the heart of Harambee has stayed in its place. As a frequenter of Harambee, Eddington knows this to be true. A Texas native, she fondly recounts, "Being here without people I know was a little difficult, especially when I got sick or hurt. Last semester, I ended up getting a horrible toothache that somehow transitioned into a fever. But I went to Harambee House, and [the interim director] Shontae Praileau called health services for me as all my friends sat around me making sure I was comfortable."

Despite the seemingly blurred line between Ethos, a cultural organization, and Harambee, an administrative department, all three student staff members stress that the house is open to everyone. "We want the space to be also used by people who aren't of African descent and take away the notion that this house solely belongs to Ethos," Clarke asserted. With the arrival of Tracey Cameron, the newly appointed director to Harambee, the house aims to re-brand Harambee as a place where people of every background are welcome.

Harambee has invited all students to come to the anniversary celebration on Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 12:30-2:15 p.m. The event will offer fun activities as well as free cupcakes, ice cream and commemorative bookmarks. More importantly, it will be a celebration of sisterhood, diversity and the importance of keeping in touch with one's culture.