This case study examines the National Association of' Colored Women's Clubs from 1896 to 1935 to explore the extent to which their programs and activities were shaped by the black community.. This researcher asserts that black women's organizational activity is shaped by the internal black political culture ofthe black community. This study conceptualizes black political culture as a network of black institutions, values, priorities, and politics that shape both individual and collective behavior.. The researcher found that leadership, resources, and political struggles over strategic responses to racism, within the black community, did shape the way in which black women organized collectively and carried out their programs. Finally, the findings suggest that a greater understanding of black women's activism can be gained by incorporating cultural factors into analyses of black wonlen's activism..