Directed and Produced by Nia Ashley in collaboration with the Barnard College Library Archive.

In 2025, Barnard College will celebrate Zora Neale Hurston ‘28, its first Black student and first step towards racial integration, and the century of Black* scholarship that followed. Barnard’s reputation for nurturing intelligent and ambitious graduates extends to its Black alumni; many prominent and accomplished Black women call Barnard their alma mater. Yet, this legacy is not without its complications. Barnard was the second to last of the Seven Sisters to integrate. Hurston was already an accomplished writer, a Howard University graduate, and (secretly) in her thirties when she was admitted; a level of accomplishment not necessary for her white peers. From 1925 to 1964, while other colleges increased their Black populations, there was a rumored quota at Barnard: only four admitted every two years.  As Andree L Abecassis ‘60 notes in “Blacks at Barnard: A Survey of Policies and Events,” Black students at the time called themselves “The Holy Twelve” as there were never more than twelve Black students enrolled at once. While Dean Gildersleeve denied the quota existed, records support the theory. Imagine the weight on each small cohort to excel, to achieve, to be not only their personal best but the best of any Barnard student as representatives of their race.

As the years continued, the shifting socioeconomic and political landscape meant that Black students were never without their struggles to integrate, revolutionize, and overcome the challenges of white supremacy, misogyny, and other intersectional oppressions on and off campus. In the late 1960s and 1970s, as the student revolution seized the country, Black Barnard students stepped out from behind the men leading civil rights activism and fought for their autonomy. In the late 20th century, affirmative action and merit scholarships diversified class demographics amongst Black students. Now, as more African immigrants, low-income, and legacy students attend Barnard, students are reimagining what college is for and what they are owed. They demand not only structural support and culturally-conscious education, but influence on how Barnard spends its money and uses its institutional power.

And yet, we thrive! We persevere, we innovate, we excel! To celebrate 100 years of Black students at Barnard, we must represent the totality of Black students’ complex and diverse experiences. We must uplift the accomplishments of Black alumni while examining their complicated relationship with Barnard as an institution. Zora Neale Hurston used anthropological research to find truth and new perspectives for her work. We continue that practice by capturing the stories of 100 years of Black students at Barnard so that their experiences may enlighten and inspire future generations.