They got ready for parties and shared countless laughs as freshmen inside the cramped rooms of Elkton Hall, a high-rise dormitory at the University of Maryland at College Park. They bonded over being Black women at a university where, in 1971, Black students made up only 4% of the student body.
While many people have friendships that span decades, the women of the Sugar Hill Sisterhood are a case study in what it takes to maintain them. The group, first formed by the Black women who lived on the top floor of Elkton Hall at the University of Maryland, College Park, in the early 70s, works hard to stay connected and nurture their relationships through group chats, phone calls, video chats, remote group activities and annual reunions.