system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[MCU] Are Black Widow and Hawkeye actually Avengers?

It is my understanding that the outline of the Avengers Initiative was to put together a team of remarkable people to fight the battles that "we" (meaning SHIELD) couldn't.

Prior to the recruiting of Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Thor, and Steve Rogers there is no 'The Avengers'.  Yet at the same time Nat and Clint are both working as spies for SHIELD.  

To me this puts them on the same level as Phil Coulson and Maria Hill. If either were meant to be Avengers the team would have started with them.
gpt
They were avengers, yes.

Had Phil Coulson and Maria Hill joined the Avengers, they would *also* be Avengers. This isn't a metaphysical category where one can be a "true avenger". It's just people in this one group, and both Widow and Hawkeye are members.