About Us

Phelps Stokes developed the Ralph Bunche Societies program three years ago to champion students, regardless of their field of study, in their pursuit of scholarly excellence, language proficiency, global awareness, and leadership skills.

Open to all, but with an emphasis on minority and working class students, the Ralph Bunche Societies are extracurricular undergraduate student-led associations dedicated to developing global citizens — regardless of their field of study.The emphasis is on scholarly excellence, language proficiency and cultural awareness, community service and activism, professional and leadership development, and the life work and legacy of Dr. Ralph J. Bunche.

The program is named after the first African American Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Ralph Bunche and it offers out-of-classroom activities that equip undergraduate students, especially minority and working-class undergraduates, with tools and knowledge that positively impact the world. Currently, there are nearly 40 undergraduates involved with Ralph Bunche Societies at four universities – Winston-Salem State University, University of Maryland-College Park, University of Virginia, and University of North Carolina-Wilmington.