“Ethos was conceived in the back of a taxi, December, 1966, by five Black Wellesley College students, returning from a conference of Afro-American students held at Columbia University. They realized that there were no existing organizations on our own campus that adequately represented the needs and obligations of the Black student on a white campus. Ethos, which is defined as ‘the pervasive characteristic that distinguishes a group of culture’ was formed to meet those needs. Our objectives are manifold: to serve as a common and effective voice on matters that concern Black students on and off campus, to establish and maintain a meaningful relationship with the Black Community, to study our own history and traditions, and to prepare ourselves, as Black women, to approach the challenges of a crucial era.”

–Ethos Newsletter, October 12 1977

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“On May 31, 1969, the alumnae of Alpha Kappa Chi (AKX), the Wellesley classical society, voted to close their house and return it to the College. The members of Ethos and the Administration began completing plans to convert AKX into the campus Black Student Center, to be called Harambee House – Swahili for “working together”. In September of 1970, Harambee House officially opened with the mission to to provide a central location for the needs of Black students including studying, tutoring, and social events, while serving as a culture resource for Black heritage to enlighten the college community at large.”