Covering the side of the Umoja Center, a mural was painted by a Bay area nonprofit organization called The Bay Area Mural Program to highlight Black and African American culture. The mural is a representation of excellence among students of color and provides a colorful piece of art to welcome the community to Umoja on Wednesday, Feb. 15 on East Campus. (Yarrow Hogan)
Covering the side of the Umoja Center, a mural was painted by a Bay area nonprofit organization called The Bay Area Mural Program to highlight Black and African American culture. The mural is a representation of excellence among students of color and provides a colorful piece of art to welcome the community to Umoja on Wednesday, Feb. 15 on East Campus.
Named after the Kiswahili word for unity, the Umoja Program is a resource at City College that supports and embraces students of color throughout their cultural and educational journey, creating a community that is dedicated to the success of the students.
Standing as its own enclave inside the Center for Equity and Social Justice, Umoja has opened its doors for everyone, welcoming them into a room with colorful adornments, couches, snacks, symbols of past students achievements and posters of prominent Black figures lining the walls.
Among California Community Colleges, Umoja is a statewide effort with a focused goal of uplifting and supporting Black and African American students through their education. Providing scholarships and grants, counselors, events, workshops, and classes specifically for Umoja Students.
“We are a community,” Jaili Reed, a peer mentor at Umoja said. “We learn new things about the Black community and the African American community everyday.”
Umoja student Keenan Kelton praised the impact that the program has had on his college journey, emphasizing that Umoja has become his community and family on campus.
February was full of events and workshops at Umoja to celebrate Black History Month. The CESJ hosted a new event called Black History 365 where students, faculty and families in the community came together for a week of activities.
On Wednesday, Feb. 15, lighting up the Umoja Center, the community gathered to enjoy a barbecue, crafting activities, football, and gathering.
Hosting a Black History 365 event, City College’s Umoja program invited members of the community to join in festivities at the Center of Equity and Social Justice (CESJ) on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at City College. (Yarrow Hogan)Josiah Megzs, 9, plays football in front of the new mural lining the walls of Umoja on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at City College. (Yarrow Hogan)On the left, Elijah Garrett throws the football with 9-year-old Josiah Megzs outside of Umoja. The Umoja program hosted a ‘Black History 365’ event which welcomed the community to celebrate Black History Month on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at City College. (Yarrow Hogan)Surrounded by posters, banners, and photographs, Umoja Student Program Advisor Lelia Richardson laughs with students in the Umoja program during their Black History 365 event on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at the Center of Equity and Social Justice at City College. (Yarrow Hogan)Zoe Fleming works on a puzzle on the arts table during the Black History 365 event that was held by Umoja on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at City College. (Yarrow Hogan)As community members were welcomed into the building, they are met with souvenirs, colorful decoration and inspirational pins. In celebration of Black History Month, the Umoja program hosted a Black History 365 event on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at the Center of Equity and Social Justice at City College. (Yarrow Hogan)
City College student Zoe Fleming participates in the activities offered at the Black History 365 event at the Umoja program. She sits at the table embellished with markers, wooden maps of Africa and puzzle pieces. Fleming begins her work on the puzzle on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at City College. (Yarrow Hogan)City College student Zoe Fleming and members of the faculty gather during the Black History 365 event and serve up their plates with complimentary sliders, salads and more. The whole Center of Equity and Social Justice (CESJ) room was full of chatter and laughter on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at City College. (Yarrow Hogan)
At the end of February, Umoja organized a vision board scrapbook day where students created a circle full of scissors, papers, magazines and markers. While music blasted behind them, the whole group bonded together in a creative and welcoming space in a room full of colorful materials and endless magazine pages.
Jaili Reed reaches over to grab a pair of scissors to begin cutting out a new piece for her vision board on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at City College. (Yarrow Hogan)Bringing students of the Umoja program together, a scrapbooking afternoon was hosted where students crafted, listened to music, and created vision boards together. From left, Zacque Beltz, Diarra Pouye, Stella Stretch, and Jaili Reed work in a group on their own vision board collage on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at City College. (Yarrow Hogan)
Stella Stretch lays in colorful clothing with a blank piece of yellow paper getting ready to start her vision board on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at City College. (Yarrow Hogan)Zia Pilar Frausto cuts out a picture from a magazine while carefully crafting her vision board on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at City College. (Yarrow Hogan)Diarra Pouye holds up a Chanel magazine to her friends in a circle of vision board scrapbooking on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at City College. (Yarrow Hogan)
