Haraya: The Pan-African Students Coalition is one of the three programming boards at St. John’s University, founded in 1968 by six African American students who felt their community needed representation within the school. Haraya is Swahili and can be translated to “Pride, Dignity, and Freedom.” With these ideologies in mind, Haraya strives to provide a platform that encourages students to succeed academically and professionally. Their biggest event – the Black and White Ball – is hosted every year during Black History Month, and was put in place 31 years ago to highlight & promote Black Excellence across campus. General Body Meetings are held bi-weekly, and they are open to all students regardless of background. As an organization, Haraya strives to educate & uplift both the St. John’s campus and surrounding community.

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