And AAAHA provides a network of people who understand what it's like to be both a minority and a Harvard graduate--a combination AAAHA member Kevin McGruder '79 says can be especially uncomfortable.

The executive director of a New York non-profit, McGruder says many of the white people he encounters do not expect to hear that he is a Harvard graduate.

"It's not overt," he explains. "There are cues you pick up on....I can tell from their facial impressions that they're surprised."

But McGruder says other black people frequently question why he chose Harvard over a historically black college.

All the more reason, he says, for black alumni to connect with those who understand their unique concerns. And that support can strengthen ties to Harvard, as well.

"Some people are always fearful that a black alumni association will divide or keep people separate from the University, but I feel that it has the potential to do the opposite," McGruder says. "My strongest network from Harvard was the black students I knew there. Keeping in touch with them has gotten me back in touch with Harvard."

Now, the AAAHA might have a more formal connection with Harvard. Members are meeting this week to discuss whether the independent AAAHA should ally itself more closely with the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA).

But as they consider their future, AAAHA members say they will rely on not just Harvard connections, but the shared experience of being black and at Harvard.