ABS provides a variety of social, cultural, and political programs throughout the school year, including ABS New Student Orientation, the Black Arts and Sciences Festival, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium, and the annual spring ABS formal. This strong support base for the black student provides leadership opportunities within the organization and encourages full participation with other student groups on campus. Over the past few years, ABS has consistently collaborated with other campus organizations on community service projects and cultural enrichment programs. ABS members are active participants in such events as Kwanzaa Celebration, Black Anthology and Cultural Celebration. Jr. Book Collection is housed in the library of the MLK lounge.
ABS welcomes all students all students who are interested in African-American culture.
The Association of Black Students primary concern is the success of the African-American students at Washington University. ABS expends its energies fully toward this end. There is a small, yet growing American Indian population on the Washington University campus. While there is presently no student organization for the undergraduate American Indian student population, undergraduates are a welcome part of the graduate student organization. Exploration of the nearby Cahokia Mounds is a popular group outing.