The antebellum era is ripe with complex narratives of communal resilience and freedom. Yet, within the broader historiography, the experiences and agency of Black women, particularly those who were laboring and single or widowed, have been given less recognition than their wealthier and male counterparts. This thesis argues that Black women living in antebellum Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston created and joined benevolent organizations in order to establish systems of care and security amidst a precarious existence. Through their participation in mutual relief societies, these women sacrificed time and funds to protect their neighbors, sisters, friends, and family. Simultaneously, these organizations often struggled with the conflicting pressures of their communities’ needs, their own values, and the expectations placed upon them by both free Black communities and white society at large. In analyzing the missions and operations of societies such as these, the enduring significance of grassroots mutual relief in marginalized communities facing governmental neglect and systemic inequality is underscored.