1 Umoja: The Power of Unity and Community Every day I learn about myself and about the people around me, how we need each other. This is a time in my life; I lost my job, a parent passed away. I need the support. I need community. --Anonymous Umoja Student I. Introduction Student Voices: Why Umoja? • Umoja is here to help everyone, to get you on track to the university. • In class, there are so many points of view. I get to look at the world through different lenses, not just my own eyes. There is so much to explore--myself and other cultures as well. Umoja is the Kiswahili word meaning unity. More than ten years ago educators leading existing African American programs in California community colleges came together and formed the Umoja Community. The Umoja Community is rooted in the experiences of African and African American cultures and inclusively welcomes students, faculty, and staff into a community that embraces similarities and differences. Currently 62 California community colleges have Umoja programs and this number is projected to continue to grow. Each college adapts the Umoja model core requirements to its local setting and population. While college programs have variations in design, they share the unity of common practices, commitments, and support for their students. All Umoja programs draw on students’ individual strengths, acknowledge their needs, and encourage their growth in the community setting. This is a time of increased attention to equity in California community colleges, and a period of expansion of the Umoja Community. The intent of this document is to describe Umoja practices and programs, and more than that, to express in human terms the experiences of students and educators across the Umoja Community. The Achievement Gap: Numbers Tell the Story Student Voices: Unasked questions Umoja has organized the activity ‘If I were your teacher,’ at professional development events at a number of community colleges. 1 The educators in the room read the quote from James Baldwin’s talk to Castlemont High School students in 1963. 1 This activity was created by Umoja faculty and has been conducted an Umoja conference, the Strengthening Student Success conference, the A 2 MEND leadership conference, and at other college professional development settings.
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Umoja:ThePowerofUnityandCommunity
EverydayIlearnaboutmyselfandaboutthepeoplearoundme,howweneedeach
other.Thisisatimeinmylife;Ilostmyjob,aparentpassedaway.Ineedthesupport.Ineedcommunity.
--AnonymousUmojaStudent
I.IntroductionStudentVoices:WhyUmoja?
• Umojaisheretohelpeveryone,togetyouontracktotheuniversity.• Inclass,therearesomanypointsofview.Igettolookattheworldthroughdifferent
lenses,notjustmyowneyes.Thereissomuchtoexplore--myselfandotherculturesaswell.
UmojaistheKiswahiliwordmeaningunity.MorethantenyearsagoeducatorsleadingexistingAfricanAmericanprogramsinCaliforniacommunitycollegescametogetherandformedtheUmojaCommunity.TheUmojaCommunityisrootedintheexperiencesofAfricanandAfricanAmericanculturesandinclusivelywelcomesstudents,faculty,andstaffintoacommunitythatembracessimilaritiesanddifferences.Currently62CaliforniacommunitycollegeshaveUmojaprogramsandthisnumberisprojectedtocontinuetogrow.EachcollegeadaptstheUmojamodelcorerequirementstoitslocalsettingandpopulation.Whilecollegeprogramshavevariationsindesign,theysharetheunityofcommonpractices,commitments,andsupportfortheirstudents.AllUmojaprogramsdrawonstudents’individualstrengths,acknowledgetheirneeds,andencouragetheirgrowthinthecommunitysetting.ThisisatimeofincreasedattentiontoequityinCaliforniacommunitycolleges,andaperiodofexpansionoftheUmojaCommunity.TheintentofthisdocumentistodescribeUmojapracticesandprograms,andmorethanthat,toexpressinhumantermstheexperiencesofstudentsandeducatorsacrosstheUmojaCommunity.TheAchievementGap:NumbersTelltheStoryStudentVoices:UnaskedquestionsUmojahasorganizedtheactivity‘IfIwereyourteacher,’atprofessionaldevelopmenteventsatanumberofcommunitycolleges.1TheeducatorsintheroomreadthequotefromJamesBaldwin’stalktoCastlemontHighSchoolstudentsin1963.
1ThisactivitywascreatedbyUmojafacultyandhasbeenconductedanUmojaconference,theStrengtheningStudentSuccessconference,theA2MENDleadershipconference,andatothercollegeprofessionaldevelopmentsettings.
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IfIwereyou,Iwouldforceme,Iwouldputmeonthespot,askmethemostdifficultquestionsyoucan.AndIwouldnotbeabletoanswerthem.Myresponsibilityistohearthem.Andwhenyouaskyourquestion,anyquestion,youbegintoknowmoreaboutwhatyoureallythink.--JamesBaldwin“LivingandGrowinginaWhiteWorld”
Duringthisactivity,agroupofAfricanAmericancommunitycollegesstudentssitatthefrontoftheroom.Manyarestudentswhohavecometocommunitycollegedespitepriorstruggles,setbacks,andchallengestheyhadinschool.Theyhavewrittenquestionsthattheyhadneverbeenabletoasktheirteachers.Oneatatime,theyasktheirquestions:
• Whenastudentstruggleswithfocusing,anddwellsinfrustrationonhowtodotheschoolwork,whywouldn’tyouhelp?
• Whydosometeachersappeartofeelthattheirobligationistosomestudentsandnotall?• WhydidIbecomeinvisibletoyouwhenyouweresupposedtoteachme?• Whydidn’tyouaskquestionswhenIwasfailing?• Whydidn’tyouaskmeifeverythingwasokathome?• Whydidn’tyouaskmewhymygradeswentfromall“A’s”toall“F’s”?• Explaintomewhatthecolorofmyskinhadtodowithyouteachingme?• WhydidyousaythatIwouldnevergrowuptobeasuccessinanything?• Whydidn’tyoupushmeharderinclassinsteadofsports,knowingthatthestudentisfirstin
student-athletes?• WhydidyouactsurprisedwhenyourealizedthatIgotaperfectscoreonmychemistrytest?• Whydidn’tyoushowmeallofthedifferentpathwaysinorderformetoachievemygoals?
Theteachersintheroomhearthequestionsthatstudentswereneverabletoaskbefore,questionsthatwereformedoveryears.Despitetheteachers’urgetorushin,answerstudents’questions,andsolvethestudents’problems,theexerciseistolisten.Thesequestionsilluminatetheinsights,insults,andbothovertandimplicitracialassumptionsthatBlackstudentsmaybringfromprioreducationalexperiences.Thoseexperiencesinturn,shapetheexpectationstheybringtocommunitycolleges.Umojaprogramsaredesignedtoaddresstheissuesunderlyingthequestions:Whydidn’tyouseeme?Whydidn’tyouseemystrengths?Whydidn’tyouseemystruggles?AnyexaminationofAfricanAmericanstudentsacrosstheeducationsystemshowsinequityinaccess,experiences,andoutcomes;thedataisunambiguous.Frompre-schooltohighereducation,theeducationsystemisnotequitablynoreffectivelyservingAfricanAmericanstudentsandotherstudentsofcolor.Numerousstudies(USDoE,2015;StanfordCEPA,2016)indicatethisisalsothecaseforLatinoandNativeAmericanstudents.Theoutcomesoftheeducationalsystemmirrorbroadersocietalinequitiesineconomics,business,andhealthstatus.ThispersistentachievementgapisthereasonthatschoolsandcollegesneedprogramsforAfricanAmericanstudents.Startingasearlyaspre-school,thereisadifferentialinaccesstoqualitypreschoolsforAfricanAmericanchildren.Evenmoretelling,AfricanAmericanstudentsinpreschoolaresuspendedmoreoftenthantheirwhiteclassmates(NPR,2016).Thispatterncontinues
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throughouttheK-12educationsystem:childrenofcolorreceivemorepunitivebehavioralresponses.Theyarethreetimesmorelikelytobesenttotheprincipal’sofficeorsuspendedthanwhitestudentsexhibitingthesamebehavior(USDoE,2014).Nationallythehighschoolgraduationratehasbeenincreasingoverall,ashavecollegeattendanceandcollegegraduationsrates.Aspartofthosetrends,moreAfricanAmericanstudentsnowcompletehighschool,attendcollege,andgraduate.However,examinationofthedatashowsthatgapsstillexistbetweenpopulations.Thenationaladjustedcohortgraduationrateforpublichighschools,forexample,isatanall-timehighof83%(Strauss,2016).Thisnationalaveragerate,however,masksdifferentialsbypopulationandgender.TheConditionofEducation,(McFarland,etal.,2017)liststhefollowinghighschoolgraduationratesbyethnicityandraceforschoolyear2014-15:
90%Asian/PacificIslander88%White78%Hispanic75%Black72%AmericanIndian/AlaskaNative
Althoughgapsbetweengraduationratesofdifferentethnicpopulationshavebeendecreasinggradually,differencesarestillevident.Whengenderisincludedasavariable,differencesareevengreater.ThehighschoolgraduationrateforBlackmalesis59%and65%forLatinomales,butcontrastthistothe80%graduationrateforwhitemales(SchottFoundation,2015).Inhighereducation,thedifferentialpatternscontinue.AlthoughincreasingnumbersofAfricanAmericanstudentsareattendingandcompletingcollege(EdTrust,2014),enrollmentandcompletionratesarenotgrowingsufficientlytoclosethegapincollegegraduationrateswithwhitestudents.TheHechingerReport(Kolodner,2016)notesthatthepercentageofAfrican-Americanadultsthathaveatleastatwo-yearcollegedegreehasgrownfromabout28%in2007to33%in2016.ForLatinos,thatfigurehasincreasedfrom19%toabout23%.Incomparisoninthesametimeframe,thepercentageofwhiteswithacollegedegreegrewfrom41%to47%.InlookingatpublichighereducationinCalifornia,theCampaignforCollegeOpportunity(2015)sadlyfound,“Acrossallthreepublicsectorsofhighereducation—theCaliforniaCommunityColleges,CaliforniaStateUniversity,andUniversityofCalifornia—Blackshavethelowestcompletionratesforbothfirst-timefreshmenandtransferstudents.”Manymorenational,state,andlocaldatacouldbeincludedtoillustratethedeepdisparityofaccessandsuccessofAfricanAmericanstudentsacrosstheeducationsystem.Theselargepatternstellacompositestory.Boththestrugglesandthesuccessesofstudentscanbeseeninthenumbers.However,thesedynamicsareexpressedinthelivesofindividualstudents.Theirstories—bothofstrugglesandsuccesses—reinforcetheneedtocreateprogramssuchasUmojathatencourageandsupportAfricanAmericanstudentsincollege.
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CommunityCollegesStudentVoices:TheJourneytoCollege
• IalwaysknewIwouldgotocollege.ThatwaswhatIwoulddo:highschool,college,career.Myparentsvaluededucation….
• Myparentswantthingsformethattheydidn’thave• Theytoldme,thisisanopportunityforyou,takeadvantageofit• Idon’tjustrepresentmyself,butmywholefamily,soIgetasmuchasIcan.• Myfamilycouldn’taffordanyothercollege.It’sgoodtosavethefamilymoney….
Designedtobethegatewaytohighereducation,Californiacommunitycollegesnowserveastudentpopulationthatisdiverseinage,race,ethnicity,andacademicpreparation.Communitycollegeswelcomestudentsdirectlyoutofhighschoolwhocannotaffordtoleavehome,aswellasthosewhoarenotacademicallyreadyforcollegework.Theyprovideapathwayforadultswhoreturntocollegeseekingnewworkandcareeropportunities.Communitycollegesarefirst,second,andifneeded,thirdandfourthchanceinstitutions.Theyareeducationalsettingswhere—iftheymeettheirmission—peoplewhohaveencounteredobstaclesinschoolandlifecanmovetowardsproductivefutures.Communitycollegesembodythehopeandpossibilitiesforthestudentswhoenrollandforthesocietyasawhole.Duringthelastseveralyears,communitycollegeshaveincreasinglybeeninthenationalspotlightfortheiraccessandaffordability.However,accessisnotenoughtobuildstudents’futures.Alongwithawiderangeofcommunitycollegeaccomplishments,widescaledataanalysisshowsthatcommunitycollegecompletionrates—Associatedegrees,certificates,andtransfer—arelowacrossallstudentpopulations.Since2010therehavebeencallsfromtheWhiteHouse,withtheFirstSummitonCommunityColleges,andotherpolicy,research,andadvocacyorganizations(McPhail,2011)toincreasecommunitycollegesuccessandcompletionrates.Butprogresstowardsthosegoalsisslow.Anationalreport(Juszkiewicz,2015)foundthat“Full-timecommunitycollegestudentsgraduateatarateof57%withinsixyears,accordingtothereport,eitherfromtheinstitutionwheretheyoriginallyenrolledoranothercollege.”Moretelling,datafromtheNationalEducationClearinghouseputsthesix-yearcompletionrateforallcommunitycollegestudents—notjustfull-timestudents—at39%.AnanalysisofNationalCenterforEducationStatistics(NCES)databytheorganizationFiveThirty-Eight(Casselman,2014),knownforstatisticalanalysis,notedthatBlacksaremorelikelythanwhitestoattendatwo-yearcollege,togotoschoolparttime,andtotakeremedialclassesandarelesslikelytograduateinsixyears.InCaliforniainacademicyear2016-2017,oftheapproximately2.4millionstudentsenrolledacrossthecommunitycollegesystem145,000students(6.12%)areAfricanAmerican(CCCCO,2018).Thisnumberandpercentagearelowerthanthepreviousyearwhentherewere150,000AfricanAmericanstudentsenrolled,6.38%ofthetotalenrollment(CCCCO,2018).
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AseverycommunitycollegeinCaliforniawritesitsequityplan,AfricanAmericansareoneofthepopulationsthatTitle5regulations§54220(d)stipulatemustbe“reviewedandaddressedfordisproportionateimpact.”Ifcommunitycollegesaretobetruetotheirmission,theyneedtonotonlyprovideaccess,butalsocommittostudentsuccessandcompletion.Todosomeansunderstandingtheirstudents,aspopulationsthataredisproportionatelyimpactedandasindividuals.WhenweconsidertheeducationalneedsofAfricanAmericanstudents,itisimportanttorecognizethattheAfricanAmericancommunityisnotmonolithic.AfricanAmericanstudentsbringawiderangeofbackgroundandexperiences.SomestudentsmayhavegrownupandbeenimmersedinAfricanAmericanculture,art,andliterature,whileotherswerenot.Somestudentsmayhavebeenraisedinstronglyreligiousfamilies,othershavenot.Somemayhavebeensupportedandthrivedinschool,othersdidnot.CulturalassumptionsandmediarepresentationdonotdojusticetothedepthandrichnessofdiversityacrosstheBlackcommunity.ThecommondenominatoristhatAfricanAmericansliveinasocietythatisstratifiedbyrace,class,andsocio-economicstatus.TheirexperiencesinschoolandindailylifenecessitatetheexistenceofprogramssuchasUmojatosupportAfricanAmericanstudents.Certainly,AfricanAmericanstudentssharecharacteristicswithothercommunitycollegestudents.Likesomanycommunitycollegestudents,theybringtocollegeamixofhopeandhesitancy,aspirationsandfears.Alongwithhopesandaspirationstosucceed,manycommunitycollegestudentsalsobringweightybaggageofdoubt.Manystudentswhocometocommunitycollegesfeeltheyareoutsidersinonewayoranother.Iftheywerenotgoodinschool,areolderandhavebeenoutofschoolforalongtime,arenotfluentintheEnglishlanguage,areworkingparents,haveaphysicalorinvisibledisability,areundocumented,orgrewupinanotherculture,theymaybeunsureabouttheirabilitytobeasuccessfulcollegestudent.Moreover,addingtotheirquestionsaboutbelongingincollege,Blackstudentshavealsoencounteredinstitutionalandimplicitracismthatpermeatesnationalhistory,currentsociety,andtheeducationsystem.TheUmojaCommunityisdesignedtorecognizethestrengthsAfricanAmericanstudentsbringtocommunitycollege,aswellastheirneeds,anddrawonthecreativityanddepthsofAfricanAmericancultureasaframeworktosupportgrowthofindividualsandcommunity.II.UmojaProgramDesignUmojaprogramsfocusonandrecruitAfricanAmericanstudents.Moreover,everycampusUmojaprogramisopentoandhasincludedstudentsofallracesandethnicities.White,Asian,Hispanic,PacificIsland,andstudentsofmixedracebackgroundshavefoundahomeinUmoja.Atsomecampuses,thepercentageofAfricanAmericanstudentsinthe
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surroundingcommunityandinthecampus,populationissmall;atthosecolleges,theUmojaprogramtendstohaveawiderprofileofparticipation.UmojabelievesthatstudentsofallracialandethnicbackgroundscanbenefitfromlearningabouttheAfricanandAfricanAmericandiaspora.Somestudentscomewiththeirfriends,regardlessofrace.OthersfindthatanUmojaclassisopenatthetimethatfitstheirschedule.StudentsofallraceshavefoundthatlearningaboutAfricanAmericanhistoryandexperienceisawaytolearnaboutthemselves,toviewtheirowncultures,andtocriticallyexaminetheirownexperiences.TheUmojaCommunityisaconsortiumofprogramswithsharedstructuralcomponentsandintentionalpractices.OtherprogramsinCaliforniacommunitycolleges,forexampleAfricanAmericanMaleEducationNetwork&Development(A2MEND),alsoexplicitlysupportAfricanAmericanstudents.However,Umojaistheonlyprogramthatoffersacademiccourses,whereexistingcollegecurriculumis“Umojafied”andenhancedbyincludingAfricanAmericanhistoryandculture.Studentsupportservices—advising,counseling,tutoring,financialaid,etc.—areinterwovenwiththeacademicsaspartoftheoverallUmojaprogram.TheUmojaCommunityprovidesanorganizingframeworkforprogramdesign.Affiliatedprogramscreatelocaliterationsshapedonthecollegeenvironmentandtosomeextentreflectingtheindividualorofficeonthecampusthatestablishedtheprogram.Ondifferentcampuses,educatorsinacademicdepartments,counseling,andadministrationhavebeentheforcethatinitiatedcampusUmojaprograms.However,thoseleadersknowfromexperiencethatbeyondtheircommitment,buildinganeffectivecampusprogramrequiresaninclusivecoalitionofadministration,facultyincludingcounseling,andstaff.ModelCoreRequirementsTheUmojaCommunityhasmodelcorerequirementsforaffiliatedprograms.Theseinclude:
• Amemorandumofunderstandingsignedbythecollegepresidenttoensureongoingcommitment
• Aprogramcoordinator• Anewstudentorientation/welcomingritualandclosingyearceremony• Alearningcommunitymodelwithtwoormorelinkedcoursesoracohortmodel• Umoja-supportedclasseswithsmallercohortsofUmojastudents,supportedbythe
Umojaprogram• Atwo-semestersequenceofguidance/counseling• Individualcounselinguntilstudentsgraduateortransfer• AcademicandsupportservicestailoredtotheneedsofUmojastudents• Adedicatedspaceor‘village’wherestudentsandstaffcanstudyandgather• ParticipationinstatewideandregionalUmojaevents
Inthesamewaythatstudentsbenefitfrommanypointsofconnectionandengagementoncampus,Umojaprogramsbenefitfrommanypointsofcontact,collaboration,andshared
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resourcesacrosscampus.Umojaprogramsatdifferentcollegeshavesharedspace,classes,events,andstrategieswithothercampusprogramswithcommongoals,includingPuente,ExtendedOpportunityProgramsandServices,andAthletics.UmojaClassesStudentVoices:TransitiontoCollege
• IrealizedIcouldbenefit.Iwouldhavecrashedandburnedinthefirstthreeweeks.Iwould’vebeenfailing.Iwouldhaveputeverythingoffandbeggedformoretime.BeforeIgraduated(highschool)mystudyhabitswerebad.I’dchoosetosleepandeatandnotdohomework.I’mstilladapting.Thefirstsemestertheclasseswerehard.
• Ineverhadtodohomeworkinhighschool.IcoulddonothingandgetaC.NowIneedthestructuretostudy.
• IfIwasn’tinUmojaIwouldn’tstillbeinschool…thefirstsemesterIgotsickalot,thenIlearnedabouttheprogram.
Umojastudents,likesomanycommunitycollegestudents,arewillingtoworkhardtosucceedbutwhentheycometocollege,theymaynotknowhowtodoit(Baileyetal,2015).ThebasicbuildingblockofanUmojaprogramisasharedlearningenvironment.StudentseitherenrollinalearningcommunitywithlinkedUmojacoursesand/orsmallgroupsofstudentsenrolltogetherindesignatedUmoja-supportedclasses.Studentsmovethroughtheircommoncoursesasacohort,buildingrelationshipswithotherstudentswhoshareacademicaspirationsandwiththeircaringinstructors.ManyUmojaprogramsserveasafirst-yearexperience.UmojastudentsmayenrollinalearningcommunitythatlinksacounselingcoursewithanacademiccoursesuchasEnglish.BeforetheimplementationofAB705(Irwin,2017),thesequencestartedonelevelbelowandmovedthroughtocollegelevelEnglishormath.SanDiegoCityCollege,forexample,hadaccelerateddevelopmentalEnglishclassesandamathematicsintensivethatletsstudentscompletethedevelopmentalsequenceinoneyear.OtheracademiccoursesthatanchorUmojalearningcommunitiesincludecommunications,AfricanAmericanhistory,psychology,orsociology.Partofthelearningcommunityislikelytobeatwo-semestersequenceoftransfer-levelcounseling,humandevelopment,orcareerexplorationcoursesthatmakesspacefortheaffectivedimensionsoflearning.Theseclassescovertheusualcontentofastudentsuccessclass;however,theyarealsocustomized,“Umojafied,”toexplicitlyaddressAfricanAmericancultureandexperience.Thecounselingclassisoftenthesiteofemotionalexploration;itisasafeplacetosharecommonchallengesandinasettingwherestudentscancomfortablydiscussissuesofraceandculturefromtheirpersonalperspectives.SomeprogramsextendUmojaclassestoathirdorfourthsemester.Programsgrowaslocalresourcesandopportunitiesallow.ProjectSuccess,anUmojaprogramatElCaminoCollege,wasmodeledasastudentsuccessprogramforAfricanAmericanstudentsmorethan30yearsago.TheyhavemainlycohortcoursesandareexpandingtoaddUmoja-
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supportedcourses,aswellasintrusivecounseling,mathandEnglishtutoring,college-basedmentoringaswellaspeermentoring.LikeallUmojaprogramsacrossthestate,ProjectSuccessprovidesculturalandtransfer-orientedfieldtrips.ChabotCollege’sUmojaProgram,formerlyknownasDaraja,nowhasathree-semestercoursesequence,witharangeofothercoursesthatmeetIGETCtransferrequirements,includinganAfricanAmericanStudentLeadershipcourse.Thestudentsthemselvescontributedtothedevelopmentofthecurriculumfortheleadershipcourse.UmojaCommunityOutreachBeyondthosestudentsenrolledinUmojaclassesandlearningcommunities,Umojacastsawidenettoincludestudentsoncampusandinthesurroundingcommunitywithsocial,cultural,andpoliticalactivities.SomecollegeshaveorganizedUmojaclubsasawayforstudentswhohavecompletedthelearningcommunityclassestocontinuetoparticipateandtakeonrolesastutorsormentors,ororganizersofcommunityactivities.Someexamplesinclude
• ChaffeyCollegeAMAN/AWOMANorganizesfilmnightsformiddleandhighschoolstudents;• SolanoCollegeUmojaScholarsgotothejuvenilehallandteachalternativestoviolenceto
incarceratedyouth.• ChabotCollegeUmojahostedthreehundredstudentsfromOaklandmiddleandhigh
schoolswhoarepartoftheAfricanAmericanMaleAchievementProject.(TwooftheOaklandeducatorswhocamewiththestudentswereformerstudents).
• DiabloValleyCollegeandFullertonCollegehavesummerbridgeprograms,bringinghighschoolstudentstothecollegecampus,andprovidingthechancetodevelopmutuallybeneficialrelationshipswhencollegestudentsmentorhighschoolstudents.
• SanDiegoCityCollege,alongwithotherSanDiegocommunitycollegeprograms,incollaborationwithSanDiegoUnifiedSchoolDistrict,hostedanUmojadayforover800highschoolstudents.
III.UmojaPhilosophyandPracticesEarlyinthedevelopmentoftheUmojaCommunityagroupoffacultycreatedacollectionofpedagogical,communication,andculturalpracticesthatrepresentedtheirsharedwisdominlanguagethatresonatedwiththeAfricanAmericancommunity.TheUmojaPractices©continuestogrowaseducatorscontributetheircombinedknowledge.TheUmojaPractices©weavetogetherintoamulti-coloredfabricofcommunityandconnection.Thatfabricstretchestoincludestudents’andeducators’livesatschoolandbeyond.
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UmojaPractices©:
• Acceleration:English,Math,ESL,andCounseling• AwarenessofConnectednesstoAfricanDiaspora• Community:BuildingCommunalIntelligence• Counseling:Affirming,Integrated,Intentional• EncirclingDiversity• EthicofLove—TheAffectiveDomain• Everybody’sbusiness• Gifting• LanguageasPower• LiveLearning• Manifesting• Mattering• Mentoring• OccupyStudySpacesonCampus• RaisingIntentionalandDeliberate• TappingAfricanAmericanIntellectual,Spiritual,andArtisticVoices• ThePorch• UmojaasaPowerBase
AfewoftheUmojaPractices©aredescribedonthefollowingpagesindetailtodemonstratehowtheyshapepersonalinteractionsandthecommunity.Sometimes,inclassroomsordailyconversations,practicesareexplicitlycalledoutandnamed;othertimestheyarelikeair:present,essential,andinvisible.ThestudentvoicesincludedbelowwerecollectedacrossmorethanhalfadozencollegesandUmojaprograms.Althoughtheprogramsvarysomewhat,thestudents’responseswerestrikinglysimilaracrosscollegesintheirenthusiasticresponsestotheUmojaPractices©.TheEthicofLoveStudentVoices:WeareFamily
• We’relikeafamily.There’ssomeonehelpingyou,andyoureachdownandhelpthosewhoaren’tthereyet.
• Ithasthissenseoffamily,beingpartofthebiggerUmojacommunity.Itshineslightandopensdoors.
• They’relikemymoms,thedirectorandthecounselingteacher.They’repushingmetodomybest.
• Theteachersfillavoid.They’relikefamily.Mydadwasn’tthere.
TheUmojaCommunitytalksboldlyandcomfortablyaboutlove.RelationshipshavethehighestvalueinAfricanAmericanculture–abovematerialthings.AfricanAmericanstudentsneedtoknowtheyarepersonallyknownandloved.ForUmojaeducators,loveis
Lovetakesoffthemasksthatwefearwecannotlivewithoutandknowwecannotlivewithin.Iusetheword
"love"herenotmerelyinthepersonalsensebutasastateofbeing,orastate
ofgrace-notintheinfantileAmericansenseofbeingmadehappybutinthetoughanduniversalsenseofquestanddaringandgrowth.
―JamesBaldwin,TheFireNextTime
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anintegralpartoftheprofessionaldevelopment;lovemeanssharingthemselveswiththeirstudents.Asoneteachersaid,“Asyouexpressmoreofyourselfintheclassroom,youallowyourstudentstobethemselves.”Studentsrespondwiththesamevitalappreciationwhentheyknowthattheirteachers“….knowmeasastudent,butalsoasaperson.”Forstudents,one-wayloveisexpressedisintheaffectionatelanguageoffamily.Atallthecolleges,studentscomfortablyandwarmlydescribedtheirUmojaclassmates,teachers,andstaffasfamily.AnUmojafacultymemberhasstudentsformalizethesupporttheyhavefromfamilyandfriends.Everyonehasrocksontheirdesk.Oneachrocktheyhavewrittenthenamesofthepeoplewhosupportedthem,maybesomeonewhopassedon,orsomeonewhoinspiredthem,orsomeonetheycancallonwhentheyneedhelp.Interconnection:BuildingCommunalintelligenceStudentVoices:TogetherWeRise
• Togetherwerise.EverythingIwentthrough,togettoappreciatewhatIdonow.NowIwanttogivebacktolife.IwanttoworkwithyoungpeopletohelpsavemisstepsImade.
• Iappreciatemyclassmates;Ivaluetheiropinions.We’reacommunity.It’swhatwedo.
Umojabelievesanddemonstratesthatindividualswillthriveinacommunalsettingwithcareandrelationships.Studentscometounderstandthattheyarenotthere—incollege,intheworld—onlyforthemselves;theirsuccessesarenotonlyforthemselvesasindividuals,butalsofortheirfamiliesandthegreatercommunity.
Whenstudentsarepartofacohort,takingclassestogether,theybecomeresponsibletocareforothersandaccountabletoeachotherfortheirlearning.It’scommoninUmojaclasses,asstudentsaresettlingintheirseats,theteachermaytakerolltoseewhoisthereandwhoismissing.Whenastudentisnotinclass,anotherstudentwillcallortexttocheckonhimorher.Studentsknowsomeonewillnoticeiftheyarenotthere;someonewillreachout.IntheirUmojaclasses,studentsfeeltheyareseenandtheirvoicesareheard.Withinthecommunity,theybelong,peoplecareandlookoutforthem;theyfeelthatsomeone‘hastheirback.’Andtheyareresponsibletolookoutfortheirpeers.Intheresearchliteratureonpersistenceinhighereducation,theretentiontheoryofVincentTinto(1987)andtheinvolvementtheoryofAlexanderAstin(1999)arecommonly
Ubuntu:Youcan’tbeahumanallbyyourself.Wethinkofourselvesfartoofrequentlyasjustindividuals,separatedfromoneanother,whereasyouare
connectedandwhatyoudoaffectsthewholeworld.
-DesmondTutu
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cited.Boththeoriesrecognizethevalueofstudentsbecomingsociallyandacademicallyintegratedintotheinstitution.AlthoughtheoriessuchasTinto’sandAstin’shavebecomeconventionalwisdom,theyhavenotnecessarilybecomecommonpractice.InUmoja,thetheoriescometolife.VincentTinto(personalcommunication,2015)watchingavideoofUmojastudents(whichhehasincludedinhisownpresentations)describedhoweffectivelytheUmojaclassembodieshistheory,“Studentsfeeltheybelongwhentheactivitiesinclassreflectthemaspeople.Whenthebookstheyreadarerelevanttotheirlives,theywanttoreadmore.Whenstudentsexperiencesharedlearningwithpeoplewhovaluethem,whenthecurriculumreflectsthem,andvaluestheirhistory,theyfeeltheybelongsocially,academically,andintellectually.”CounselingStudentVoices:BringyourBestSelf
• WhatdidIgain?focusanddirection.Umojasupporthelpsyougoforwardwithconfidence.Thisopenedmyeyes,soIseeIcandoit.
• Theprogramwantsthebestoutofyou,theyseethebestinyou;theyseeyourpotential.Theytellustobringourbestselves.
• Inthecounselingclassweexplorefeelingsandpower,communicationandculture.Whatmakesusthesameandwhatmakesusdifferent?What’sgoingonintheworld?
Manycommunitycollegesnowdowhattheycall‘intrusivecounseling,’preemptivelyremindingstudentstomeetrequirementsanddeadlines.InUmoja,counseling—formalandinformal—ismorethanadesignatedprogramcomponentorclass.Counselingispartofongoingconversationsandrelationships:itcanhappenatanytime—withoutaclock,withoutanappointment,withoutwallstoencloseit.Umojareferstothisproactivelevelofengagementasbeing‘intentionalanddeliberate.’Studentsaresupportedastheylearnhowtofocusandshapedecisionsintheirlives.Andstudentsrecognizethevalue.Theobstaclesthatcommunitycollegestudentsencounterarenotsolelyacademic.Umojastudents,similartoothercommunitycollegestudents,havecomplexlivesandareoftentryingtobalancemultiplerolesandresponsibilitiesintheirlives.Manystudentsstruggledailywithtransport,finances,andworkschedules,simplytogettoclass.Onestudent’sstorydemonstrateshowmanythingscangowrongatonetime.Yetshewasdeterminedtocontinueincollege;beinginUmojasupportedherdetermination.
• Thefirstsemestermycarwasstolen.Igotitback,butIhadtodropmyeveningmathclass.Igotevictedandhadtolivewitharelative.Umojawashelpful.Theymakesureyouwillnotfail.Theyunderstandlifehappensanddon’tholditagainstyou.
TheUmojaprogramatSolanoCollege,forexample,hasthreesocialworkinternsfromCSUSacramento.Theinternshavetrackedstudentchallenges;inonesemester,theyidentifiedstudents’majorneedsofmentalhealthconcerns,physicalhealthproblems,transportation,andhousing(McCord,2014).Onesocialworkintern’sowneducationalexperiences,whichstartedincommunitycollege,mirroredthoseofthestudentshenowworkswith.
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• I[first]cameheretogetacertificate.AsIlearnedmore,mygoalschanged,nowI’matfour-yearinstitution,gettingasocialworkdegree….NowIcanhelpsupportthem….Allthepersonalaspectsoflife-bills,transport,work—wecanofferandsupport.Wetrytobeallthewayaroundstudentsandassistineacharea.
Asthesocialworkinternnoted,tosupportstudentsmeansto“beallthewayaroundthem.”ManyUmojaprogramskeeparangeofresourcesonhandtomeetstudents’basicneeds:snacks(anddirectionstothecampusfoodbank),buspasses,anemergencyfundforgasmoney,andloanercopiesoftextbooks(forearlyinthesemesterwhenPellgrantsaredelayed,andstudentscannotbuytexts).Somecollegeshaveorganizedchildcaretocoverclasstimesandsomepaystudentstoworkintheirchildcareprogram.Inasafesetting,studentscanadmitthatcollegeischallenging.Evenwithsupportandencouragement,evenwithdeepmotivation,learningtobeaseriousstudenttakeseffort.Manyofthestudentsstruggledacademicallyinhighschoolandtheyarestillstruggling.Umojaisaplacewheretheycanadmittothestruggleandfindtoolstokeepgoing.Studentslearnthatitisokaytostruggle,anditissafetoaskforhelpfromteachers,tutors,counselors,andpeers.Askingforhelpwillnotgetthemlabeledaspoorstudents,butrathertheywillbeseenasseriousstudents.Studentsmaystrugglebeinginschool,buttheyfeelthattheirstrugglesaresupported.StudentVoices:StruggleandSupport
• Iknowwhatworksforme,thisisgoodforme,thewayIcanapproachthesituation.I’mtreadingwater,stillnotswimming.
• Iexpectedcollegetobedifficult,butfourclasses,full-time,I’mgettingstressedout.• ThecounselorissomeoneIcantalkwith,workonmyedplan.Honestly,I’mstilllost.
Theprogramsetusupwithmentors.• Forstatistics,Igotothetutoringcenter.InChemistry,Igetstuck.Istrugglewiththe
class.InEnglishIcanaskotherstudentsinthe(Umoja)scholars’program.Istillstruggleasking.
LanguageasPowerStudentVoices:WeFreePeoplewithOurStories
• Everyonehasastory.They’reallacriticalpartofthepuzzleoflife.Wefreepeoplewithourstories.
• SomethingItakewithmefromUmojais‘languageaspower.’Whatyouspeak--thewordsinyourhead--thatbecomesyourreality.
Thecentralityoffeelingsandexperiencesisembodiedinthepoweroflanguage.Umojastudentsspeakinmultiplelanguages:thehomelanguagesstudentsbringtotheclassroom,thegenresofacademicdiscourse,theemotionallanguageofchange,andthesharedlanguageofcommunity.PersonalstoriesareanaturalpartofUmojaclassroomsandconversations.Studentsknowthattheirstories,theirstruggles,theirvictoriesarewelcomeintheclassroom.Thepersonalstoriesweavetogetherintoasharedstorythathelpsthemseethemselvesandothersinawidercontext.Umojapedagogyillustratesthe
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waysthatincludingstudents’voicesenrichesthestudents’senseofself-efficacy,whichprovidesafoundationfortheiracademicsuccess.ThePorchStudentVoices:Ontheporch
• Iseehimasamentor,afather.Hespeakstruth.Hedoesn’tsugarcoatthings.Whenhetalkstoyou,he’sreal.Buthewon’ttakeexcuses.
• Theseprofessorsandcounselors,they’reaboutlove.Thetheoriesarepainfulandeyeopening….livingonpurposeisnewtome.
Intheruralsouththeporch,orintheurbannorththefrontstoop,istheplacewherepeopletalkwiththeirneighbors.Theporchiswheresmallthingsgotattention,newsisshared,andtheconversationsthatconnectthecommunitytakeplace.PorchtalkinUmojaholdsmomentsofhonesty,fromcallingoutaproblemtoappreciation.Teachersmaytakeamoment‘ontheporch’totalkfranklytostudentsaboutwhattheyneedtodoiftheyarenotputtingintheirtimetomeetacademicstandards.Orstudentsmaycallouttobe‘ontheporch’forsomethingtheynoticethatneedsattention.Theporchrecognizesthatdifficulttruthispartoflearning.LiveLearningStudentVoices:BeingPresentforLearning
• FriendstoldmewhatEnglishclasstotake.Actually,theysaid(thisteacher)wastough;he’llholdyouaccountable.Butthat’sokay.Otherteachersbeforedidn’tevenreadwhatIwrote...Heseesmeasastudentandaperson.Iwanttoholdupmystandardstohisstandards.
• ItookthenormalEnglishbefore,butIwasnotmotivated,notchallenged.IgotaD;theteacherwasn’tpushingmetodobetterorencouragingme.NowI’mtakingtheEnglishclassagain.Thefirstday,Iwasoverwhelmed.Itcameoffashard.‘Who’swillingtostayforeducation?’Istayedlongerandappreciateditmore.
• I’velearnedsomuch,blackhistory,butalsothe,holocaust(asurvivorcametotalkwithourclass)andNativeAmericanhistory.Thingsthathavegoneonintheworld,I’vetouchedsomanycultures.
Wordsarethings….Youmustbecareful,carefulaboutcallingpeopleoutoftheirnames,usingracialpejorativesandsexualpejorativesandallthatignorance.Don’tdothat.Somedaywe’llbeabletomeasurethepowerofwords.Ithinktheyarethings.Theygetonthewalls.Theygetinyourwallpaper.Theygetinyourrugs,inyourupholstery,andyourclothes,andfinallyintoyou.
–Dr.MayaAngelou
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Umojapedagogyrecognizesthatemotionsareinherentlypartoflearning.Inordertolearn,studentsneedtofeeltrust,hope,andconnection.Atthesametimethatteacherspayattentiontothepersonalexperiencesandemotionsoftheirstudents,theteachersareclearabouttheintellectualcontentandrigoroftheirclasses.Althoughteachersmaytaketimetoremindstudents—repeatedlyifnecessary—aboutlogistics,assignmentdeadlines,orthecorrectformatforcitation,theheartoflearningisconcepts,analysis,andunderstanding.Umojateachersdonotconfusestudentbehaviorwithintellectualcapacity.Instudents’dailylivestheymaydealwithconstantobstaclesandneeds—transportation,food,familyresponsibilities,workschedules,health,etc.However,Umojateacherscanseebeyondpatternsoftardiness,absence,orlateassignments.Theydonotmistakethesurfacechaosofstudents’dailyliveswiththeirinherentintellectualwherewithaltoengagewithbigideas.Intheirclasses,Umojateachersprovidetheongoingstructureforacademicengagement.Whentheteacherscreateanopeneducationalenvironment,studentshavethespacetotalkaboutwhattheyarelearningandhowtheyfeelaboutwhattheyarelearning.Theenvironmentoftrustandrelationshipsletsthemtryoutideasandlistentotheideasofothers.InaBasicSkillsUmojaEnglishcourseatNorco,thestudentshadbeenstudyingalltheelementsofclosereadingandargumentation.Someofthetopicsintheclassincludedcolorism,internalizedracism,andunconsciousbias.Neartheendoftheterm,theinstructorusedoneoftheUmojaPractices,Manifesting,tostructurethefinalproject,helpingherstudentsputalloftheirlearningintoactionandtoextendtheUmojaclassroombeyondtheclassitselfintothelivesandhopesofherstudents.TheUmojainstructorwhocollaboratedonthefinalprojectassignmentwithacolleagueaskedherstudentstocreateavisualargument,onasocialmediaplatform--Zine,Instagram,Facebook,orTwitter.Whenpresentingthefinalassignmenttothestudents,theygrewveryexcitedandstartedtalkingtoeachother,whileshewasintroducingit.Sheinterjectedthatshewashappyabouttheirchatteraslongastheywerelisteningaswell.Therapportintheclasswasveryhigh.Thewholeclassmovedforwardtodiscoverwhatwasbeingaskedandwhatwaspossible,everyoneengagedandenthusiastic.
Toheareachother(thesoundofdifferentvoices)tolistentooneanother,isanexerciseinrecognition.Italsoensuresthatnostudent
remainsinvisibleintheclassroom.
–bellhooks,TeachingtoTransgress:EducationasthePracticeofFreedom
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Theassignment:“Thisfinalprojectwillbeanargumentofyourowncreation,youraudiencewillbeBlackyouth,andyouwillcompletethisprojectinagroupoftwoorthreestudentswhoareinterestedinasimilartopic(collaboration).”TheinstructoraskedthestudentstostartacampaignthathelpsBlackYouthimprovetheirlives.Besidesallthereadingsdoneoverthesemesterservingasaresource,theinstructoraddedaselectionfromJamesBaldwin,“LettertoMyNephew,”and“Preface2001”fromCornelWest’sbook,RaceMatters.ThereadingswereusedtolookatargumentandaudienceinrelationtoWest’sandBaldwin’spiecesaddressingBlackYouth.Thestudentswereaskedtocreatehandles,hashtags,Instagrampages,twittercampaigns,andphotoargumentsthatrequiredaminimumnumberofpostsandevidenceofatleast50followers.Eachposthadtohavearationaleandthewholeprojecthadtopresentanargument,demonstratingwhattheyhadlearned.Thestudentswerecaptivatedatthefinal.Theytalkedallthewayoutthedoor,forminggroups,talkingaboutpossibletopics,acknowledgingandthankingtheinstructor.ThecommonthemesofthesocialmediacampaignstheUmojastudentscreatedwere:SelfLoveandMentalHealth.Askedlater,theteacherremarked,“I’mhopingbyendinglikethisthatthestudentsseethatEnglishmatters,thatrhetoricmatters.Sooftentheyjustgetagradeandthesemesterdisappears.Mygoalistohelpthemexperiencetheirvoice,theirimpactandcarrythatconfidenceforward.”TheinstructorandstudentseventooktheprojecttoanotherlevelandsharedtheirworkonNorco’sUmojaCommunityInstagrampage:UmojaNorcoCollege.Umojainstructorssetandholdtheirstudentstohighacademicstandards.Thestudentsmayhavebeenineducationalsettingswherestandardswereloweredbecausetheclasseswerefor‘minority’students.Studentswouldbejustifiablysuspiciousofclassesthataredeceptivelyeasy.WhatClaudeSteele(2010)notedhasbeenshowntobeeffective—whathasbeenshowntoinspirestudentstoworkharder—istomakeclearthattheteachersholdhighstandardsandtheybelievethestudentscanmeetthosestandards.Umojastudentsseethemselvesascapableandvalueseriousacademicengagement.
TappingAfricanandAfricanAmericanIntellectual,Spiritual,andArtisticvoices;ConnectingtotheAfricanDiaspora
TheSankofabirdisamythicalsymbolfromWestAfricathatlooksbackward,asshemovesintothefuture,holdingtheeggofthefutureinherbeak,TheSankofabirdrepresentsreachingbackandgatheringthebestofthepast(whichmayhavebeenlostorforgotten)inordertomoveforward.
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InAmericanhistorybooksandclasses,AfricanAmericanhistoryistypicallycoveredbrieflythroughanarrowfocusonslavery.Thisisthecommoncurricularapproach,soAfricanAmericanstudentsmayhavehadlittlechancetoexploretheirculturalhistoryeitherintheAmericasorinAfrica.UmojaengagesstudentswiththefrequentlyomittedrichnessandbreadthofAfricanandAfricanAmericanscholars,art,andliterature.InUmojaEnglishandcounselingclasses,studentsreadawidevarietyofAfricanAmericanwriters:ToniMorrison,AliceWalker,W.E.B.DuBois,bellhooks,LangstonHughes,GwendolynBrooks,JamesBaldwin,ZoraNealeHurston,MalcolmX,Ta-NehisiCoates,andothers.OneEnglishclass,forexample,readthecontemporarynovel,WeNeedNewNamesbytheAfricanauthorNoVioletBulawayo.
Umojastatewideannualconferencesandregionalsymposiaareatimeforcelebrationbytheextendedcommunity:students,faculty,andstafffrommultiplecampuses.AfricanandAfricanAmericanculturearecelebratedatthestatewideeventswithintellectualcontent,personalvoices,andartisticperformances.ThekeynotespeakerattheannualUmojaconference2014andattheregionalsymposia2015wasDr.JoyDeGruy,authorofPostTraumaticSlaveSyndrome.Herscholarship
analyzesthecurrentstateofAfricanAmericancultureinthecontextofAfricanculture.
Atthesestatewideandregionalevents,studentsexperiencebeingpartofanextendedAfricanAmericancommunityandconnectedtotheAfricandiasporaandpeopleacrosstheworld.StudentsareinanauditoriumwithhundredsofotherAfricanAmericanstudents,instructors,andmentors;theyknowtheyarepartofafar-reachingextendedcommunity.
ManylocalUmojaprogramshavechosenAfricannamesrepresentingvaluesandaspirations.Umoja,meansunity;Daraja(atChabot)meansbridge;Diop(atCosumnesRiver)istheSengalesewordforscholar;Tumaini(atSanBernardinoValley),meanshope.ProgramsatDeAnzaandLongBeachCityarecalledSankofa.
TheUmojaConferencebeginsbyaskingpermissionoftheeldersintheroomtoproceed.Atthefrontoftheroomisanaltar,coveredwithAfricancloth.Inaritual,peopleplacesymbolicobjectsonthealtar:amasksymbolizingthedream/thevision;watersymbolizingpeace,fruitrepresentingtheearth;aplantfornatureandtransformation.Theritualcallsthepeopleintotheroom.Itbringstogetherthepastandthepresent,thesharedstruggleandthehope.
Dr.DeGruy’sobservationsspeakdirectlytotheexperiencesoftheUmojastudents.Shespeakswithpersonalimmediacy,weavingherexperienceandvoiceintothehistoricalanalysis.Asshedescribesthebroadswathofhistory,shementionsherownconflicts,decisions,andactionsinchoosingthisasafocusforherscholarship.ShenotesthattheAfricanculturewasbrokeninslavery:thetribesdisrupted,familiesseparated,traditionstransportedinpieces.“Howcanitbehealed?”Shespeaksdirectlytothestudents,“Youcan’thealwhatyoudon’tknow.Youshouldknowyourselvesandknowyourhistory.Umojacanhelpyouunderstandwhoyouare.”
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IV.UmojaEducators--ProfessionalLearningandDevelopmentTeacherVoices:Studentsareourprofessionaldevelopment.Umojateacherstransformstudents’storiesandvoicesintopedagogyandpractice.
• Thestudentsareourprofessionaldevelopment.Wegetinbetweenthespacesoflearningandwatchthem.Welearnfromthem.That’sourprofessionaldevelopment.Wemakeourselvesvulnerableandempowerthemtobeourteachers.Wecontinuetolearnfromthem.Theymodelhowtobetaught.Wewritecurriculumbasedontheirlivesandvoices.Webringtheirvoicesinplaces–likeschoolsandcolleges—wherehistoricallytheyhavebeensuppressed.
Umojaeducatorssay,withoutembarrassment,thisistheirpassion,theworktheydobecauseoflove.Itisworktheyare“calledtodo.”
• Youcomeintotheroomauthentically,whoyouare,notafraid.That’stheenergystudentrespondto,beingcomfortablewhoyouare.Studentsknowyoucare.Theyfeelsupported,becoming,andtheyareheldaccountable.Theyunderstandtheyneedtosupportothersinthecommunity.Thisethicofloveisinfusedintheireducation.
EducatorsareintegrallypartoftheUmojacommunity.Umojaprogramstaffincludearangeofeducators:facultyincludingcounselors,administrators,tutors,instructionalaides,andvolunteers.Infact,morethanhalfadozencurrentUmojafacultyandcoordinatorsbeganasstudentsintheirowncommunitycollegeprograms.Theseindividualschoseeducationalpathwaysthroughcommunitycollege,transferanddegreecompletion,andgraduateschool.Nowtheyreachback,returningandteachingstudentsatthecommunitycollegeswheretheywerestudents.Umojainstructorsaretheretonurtureandmentorstudents;atthesametime,asprofessionaleducatorstheycontinuetolearnanddevelop.Theirstudentsaretheirguides;understandingtheirstudentsshapestheirteaching.RelationshipsasLearningStudentVoices:TeachersChangeourLives
• …Icametocollegeforfinancialaid,butwhenImettheteachers,Ichangedmymind.NowIwanttohelpotherpeople.
• AndthisEnglishteacher–youcanseehispassion–hehaspassiondrippingoffhim
TherelationshipsbetweenUmojainstructorsandstudentsareaboutreciprocallearning.Mutualrespectandcaringconnectthemembersofthecommunity.WhenUmojastudentsdescribetheirteachers,theyspeakwithrespectandaffection.Theytalkaboutthelastingeffectstheteachershaveontheirlives.Inturn,Umojaeducatorsseethecomplexlayeredrealitystudentslivein,including,inmanycases,thetraumastheyhavesuffered.Butatthecoretheyseestudents’strengths.Whentheteacherscanshowthestudentshowmuchtheybelieveinthem,thestudentscometobelieveinthemselves.
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TeacherVoices:Ifeeltheirhungerforknowledge• Weseetheirneeds.Theymayneedfoodandtransportorbooks,butweneverdoubttheir
capacity.• Whenwecanhelpremovetheover-the-topanxietythatstudentsfeel,theyareableto
graspmaterial,bemoreinterested,andfigureouthowtolearnbetter.• Icanfeeltheirhungerforknowledge,theirresiliency,determination,andtenacity.
Aseducators,theirsatisfactionistoseetheirstudentsdevelopintotheinformedstudentsandtheleaderstheycanbe.TeacherVoices:Wegettoseethemgrow
• Wegettoseethemgrowandchange.• Wegivethemsupportsotheygrow,theyinternalizethestructureandconsistency,and
priorities.• Weconnectstudentswiththepaththeywanttotake.• Weseethestrugglesandpainofthepastasstrength.Ifyouonlytalkabouthowyour
hardlifeis,youwon’tgetoutofbed…focusonthegoalandmakeaplantodoit.
Oneteachersummedupherunmitigatedsupportforstudentsandtheinterrelatedstructureofsuccess:
• Weletthemknow,failureisnotanoption.Andthenwecelebratesuccess….Iwantstudentstoknow,‘Ican’tbesuccessfulifyou’renotsuccessful.
V.OutcomesItisanaturalquestiontoaskabouttheeffectsofanyeducationalprogram,toaskaboutthemeasurableoutcomesaswellasoutcomesthatarelesseasilymeasured.TheUmojaCommunityconductedaninternalpreliminarystudyofquantitativeoutcomesatthreecollegeswithwell-establishedUmojaprograms,AmericanRiverCollege,ChabotCollege,andSanDiegoCityCollege.NumericOutcomesBasedondataprovidedbytheinstitutionalresearchoffices,theycomparedUmojastudentswithAfricanAmericanstudentsenrolledatthecollege,butnotinUmoja.Theaggregateddataacrossthreecollegesshowedpositiveeffects.IncreasedunitsattemptedandcompletedUmojastudentsattemptedandearnedtwiceasmanycreditsinanacademicyearasstudentsnotinUmoja.Umojastudentsweremorelikelytopassbasicskillscoursesandbereadyfortransferlevelworkinashortertimeframe.
• BasicEnglishCoursesuccessratesforUmojaparticipantswere10%pointhigherthanAfricanAmericanstudentsnotinUmoja.
• Basicmathcoursesuccessrateswere12%pointshigherthanAfricanAmericanstudentsnotinUmoja.
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IncreasedpersistencetothenextsemesterUmojastudentspersistedtothenextsemesteratarate20%pointshigherthanAfricanAmericanstudentsnotinUmoja.
• Forfirsttimestudents,82%ofUmojastudentspersistedcomparedto62%onnon-Umojastudents.
• Fornon-first-timestudents,84%ofUmojastudentspersisted,comparedto62%.
ThiswasafirstattemptbyUmojaCommunitytoaskconsistentquestionsacrosscollegeprogramsandtoprovideguidelinesondatagatheringandanalysis.Thereportitselfacknowledges“Datalimitationswhichincludenothavingaccesstotherawdata,populationtotalswerenotavailable,andsmallsamplesizespreventedstatisticaltestsforsignificantdifferencesfrombeingperformed.”(UmojaCommunity,2016)Thesequestionsandthedataareonlythebeginningofgatheringevidencetomeasureoutcomes.AstheUmojaCommunitydevelopsaninclusivedatabase,itwillbepossibletotrackstudentsbeyondenrollmentinclasses.Extendedoutcomequestionscouldexaminelongertermstrajectories,includingUmojastudentswhoserveasmentorsandtutorsinthesecondyearandfollowingstudentsafterenrollmentinUmojaclassesthroughcompletion,degree,andtransfer.NarrativeOutcomesTrendsinthequantitativestudyaboveillustratethatstudentsbenefitacademicallyfromparticipationinUmoja.Inthefieldworkforthispaper,interviewswithmorethanfiftyUmojastudentsonmorethansixcollegeswereconducted.Twoqualitativeoutcomesemergedthatperhapscanaddtexturetothequantitativefindings.Thesetwooutcomesare1)patternsofacademicgrowthandmaturityand2)strengthenedBlackidentity.AcademicGrowthandPersistenceStudentvoices:I’mheretobeserious
• Themathteacherisnowpushingme.ThefirstsemesterIdidn’twork;thenIcamebackandgotaB.Nowshesays‘Icanseeyouworking.’NowIdohomeworkdaily,whileit’sfresh.
• Ididn’tfocusinhighschool.MytranscriptshadW’s(withdrawals).Iwaspartying.I’m24;somehereare18.NowIhaveakid….IfIdidn’thavemyson,I’dstillbepartyingandhavingfun.ButnowI’mheretobeserious.
• NowIsitinfrontmoreoften(Iusedtositinback)andItalkmoreinclass.• Thefirstsemesterback,Ihavea3.0GPA.Imetmybestfriendandwestudytogether
everynight.Wedoourhomework.BeforeI’djustprocrastinate.NowI’mtaking14unitsandgettingBsandAs.
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• I’vehadafirestirredinme.I’mold.Ihaven’tfeltlikethissinceIwasateenager.Ialwayshadathirstforknowledge.NowIhavethecommunitytolearnwith.
StudentsparticipatinginUmojarespondtotheprogram’sintentionalmixofpersonalsupportwithintellectualchallenges.Studentsdescribetheirownchangesintermsofdevelopingstrongeracademichabitsthathelpthemsucceedacrossalltheiracademics.Studentsinternalizeandenactnewacademicbehaviorsindailyways:theykeepuponhomeworkwithfriends,theyaskquestionsinclass.Theyhavefoundawaytoputintoactionpracticaladvicethattheyhaveheardbeforethatnowtakesonmeaning.Students’willandwillingnesstostaywiththestruggletolearnareviewedasstrengths.Umojaeducatorscontinuallygivestudentsmessagestokeepon,topersevere.Theywillnotgiveuponstudents.Oneteacherrelayed,“Ioftentellourstudents,‘Youcan’tgiveup–youcanrant,butyoucan’tgiveup.Failureisnotanoption.’”Andstudentstakethemessagestoheart.Umojaconsistentlyprovidesspaceandsupportforstudentstolearntobestudentsandtobepartofacommunitythatmutuallysupportssuccess.Umojafirmlyhelpsstudentsdevelopeducationalplanswithambitiousgoalsincommunitycollegeandbeyond.Studentsinternalizethepossibilitiesastheirhorizonsexpand.Studentvoices:Iwanttogofurther
• Theypushyoutomoveon–notstayatcommunitycollege.• Theywon’tbeourteachersforever;wehavetomotivateourselves.• Ialwayswantedtobeanurse;IcameinthinkingIwouldbeanursefortherestofmy
life.NowI’mchangingmymind.I’mnotgivingupnursing,butIwanttogofurther,thinkbeyond,considerotherpossibilities.I’mopentoideasaboutpoliticalscience.Icoulddodifferentthings,maybelawschoolorteachnursing.
Umojauseseveryopportunitytoencouragestudentstoenvisiontheireducationalandprofessionalfutures.
Theinvitationfromtheuniversitystudentsreinforcesthestudents’senseofthepossibilitiesandpathwaysforward.Umojateachersrealizethattheirstudents,particularlyfirst-generationstudents,mayfeelambivalentmovingtoafour-yearinstitution.Theyaremovingahead,buttheyarealsoseeingothersleftbehind.Knowingthereareotherswhowillbetheretomeetthemandwelcomethemcaneasethetransitionandprovideasenseofcontinuity.Andthentheycanbeinapositiontoreachbackandbringothersforward.
Duringtheregionalsymposium,apanelofstudentsfromUniversityofCaliforniaDavisandLosAngelesareatthefrontoftheroomtoanswerquestions.Theyhavedifferentmajors,variedbackgrounds,andhavetakendifferentjourneystotheuniversity.TheUCDaviscoordinatoropensthepanelbyinvitingstudentsintheaudienceto“pictureyourselfhere,supportingthosewhocomeafteryou.”
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Onestudent’sexperiencesumsupchangesinaspirationsashishorizonshaveopened.Thisstudentcametocollegewithunformedideasaboutwhathecoulddoorbe.Hisexperienceinclasses,thesupportofteachers,counselorsandpeers,andfindinghisownpassionhaveallinspiredhimtoreachhigher.
• IwenttothesymposiumatUCLA.Itwasagoodexperiencetoseeschoolscometogether,everyonewiththesamegoal,tobesuccessful,andtomeetpeople.Thefirstyearincollege,IthoughtIwouldjustdowhatIcan.NowwithguidanceIcanstriveformore.MygoalnowistogotoUCLA.WhenIcametocollegeIsaidthatIwasapsychologymajor,butthatwasjustsomethingtosay.ThenItookgraphicartsandthat’smypassion.NowI’maimingforUCLA,it’sthetoprankedprogramingraphicarts.IgrewupinLAandthoughtUCLAwasforrichkids.Withsupportandtheprogramthathelpsstudentstransfer,andthenetwork--ImetstudentswhoareatUCLA--IthinkIcandoit.I’mthefirstinmyfamilytogotocollege,myparentsdidn’tfinishhighschool.
RootedinBlackIdentityStudentVoices:ThisisaWayforMetoLoveMyself
• AsanAfricanAmerican,thisisawayformetobesuccessfulasaperson,awaytolovemyself.Beinghere,weshedlightonthingsthataren’tusuallydiscussedoutsideinpublic.
• InUmojaclassesIfeelcomfortable--therearestudentslikemesoIfeelmorecomfortableoncampus.
• Asablackwoman,hereIdon’tfeellikeI’mdifferent.Wehavethesamestruggles.Iknowotherpeoplehavedifferentstruggles.Herewecanrelate.We’realllearningandmovingforward.Thisisthebestplaceforme.…ThisisforusasAfricanAmericans,buteveryoneshouldhavesomeplacelikethis.
Umojaprovidesspaceoncampuswherestudentsfeeltheybelongacademically,andemotionally.Students’self-confidencegrowsastheydevelopadeeperandmoreconnectedidentityasAfricanAmericans,connectedtotherichnessofcultureandcommunity.
• Umojaputsprideinsideyou.InhighschoolIdidn’tlearnaboutmyownhistory.[Learningitnow]It’sbreathtaking.
Onestudentdescribedhowpowerfulitwastobeattheregionalsymposium,withsomanyotherAfricanAmericans.
• Iwalkedin,lookedatallthepeople…theyaresobeautiful,thesemanyshadesofbrown.Ihadn’tbeeninaroomwithsomanyotherAfricanAmericans.
ParticipatinginUmojagivesstudentsbothaconnectiontotherichnessofAfricanAmericancultureandacommunityofpeersandteacherswithsharedvalues.InUmoja,studentsinasettingwithotherBlackstudents;theirclassmatesmayhavewidelyvariedbackgrounds,buttheyshareacommonculturalperspective.Moreover,studentsappreciatehavingvisiblerolemodels:AfricanAmericanprofessors,counselors,mathematicians,socialscientists,scholars,anduniversitystudents.
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TheUmojacommunityofstudentsandeducatorstogethershareexperiencesacrosslevels:themacro-socio-political-historicanalysis,thelocalenvironmentandcommunity,andtheinternalpersonalrealmofemotionsandfeelings.Usingthelanguagesofacademicdiscourseandpersonalconversation,studentscantalkaboutcomplexissuesofraceinAmericaandhowitaffectstheminschoolandinlife.AsUmojastudentsgrowmoreconfidentandmoredetermined,astheyfeeltheybelongatcollege,astheysucceed,theylookforwaystoreachback,toencourageothers.StudentVoices:ThisisaWayforMetoLoveMyself
• Thiswillinspiremysiblings–ifIgotocollegeandgetagoodcareer.• Alotofpeoplearelonelyatcollege;theydriftthrough.IwouldrecommendUmoja,to
developfriendsanditmakesiteasiertogothroughcollege.• It’sbeenalifesaver,lotsofstudentsgothroughcollegewithoutit;they’releftinthe
dark.Umojaprovideshelpwhenyouneedit.Itgivesyousupporttosucceed.• This(experienceinUmoja)strengthensmyresolve,andhowtopresentmyself.Iam
morecomfortabletopromoteeducationandbooksandreading.
VI.Conclusion:UnityandCommunity
Whateveraffectsonedirectlyaffectsallindirectly.IcanneverbewhatIoughttobeuntilyouarewhatyououghttobe.YoucanneverbewhatyououghttobeuntilIamwhatIoughttobe.Thisistheinterrelatedstructureofreality.---–MartinLutherKingJr.,1967
UmojaistheKiswahiliwordmeaningunity.TheUmojaCommunitybringstogethercampusprograms,educators,andstudentsinagrowingandunifiedwhole.ThroughexperiencesinUmojaprograms,studentsknowtheyareconnectedtoadeepcultureandarichnetworkofpeopleintheirdailylivesandacrosstheworld.InthefaceofnationalandlocaldatathatmakesclearthehardfactthatBlackstudentsarestillbeinglostateverypointintheeducationalsystem,UmojaillustratesthemanywaytobringBlackstudentsintotherelationshipsandcommunitiesthatgivethemthechancetogrowandsupportothersaroundthem.AsCaliforniacommunitycollegeswritetheirmandatedStudentEquityPlans,andaddresshardquestionsofdisproportionateimpact,whatcantheexperiencesofUmojastudents,programs,andeducatorscontributetothecolleges’needtomakeequitymorethanaplan?Communitycollegesasinstitutions,andtheindividualswhomakeuptheinstitutions,needtoacknowledgethatAfricanAmericanstudentshavenotbeenwellservedbytheeducationalsystemasitis,includingtheirowncollege.Acrossthecommunitycollegesystem,theachievementgappersists:AfricanAmericanstudentsareatthelowestlevelof
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academicachievementinthesystem.Continuingtodowhathasbeendoneinthepast,evenwithminortinkeringtothestatusquo,isnotaneffectivewaytoaddresslong-standinginequities.Thesocietalrootsofracismaretoodeeplyembeddedtoyieldtominorinterventions.UnderstandingthewaysthatAfricanAmericanstudentsfeelincludedandsupported—ormoreexplicitlyatmanycolleges,notincludedandsupported—oncampuscaninformacollege’sconversationaboutequity.TheUmojaCommunityprovidesabundantexamplesofwhatcomprehensivesupportforAfricanAmericanstudentsentails.WhenparticipatingstudentsareaskedwhattheygainfromUmoja,theyanswerwithouthesitation.UmojapracticesspeakdirectlytoBlackstudents’personalneeds.HighexpectationsintheUmojaclassroomcounterbalanceprioreducationalexperienceswhereasstudentstheyencounteredlowexpectationsandtepidchallenges.ThecommunitytheyarepartofinUmojahelpsthemshapetheiridentitiesasstudents,asAfricanAmericans,ascitizens,asfutureprofessionals,andasindividualswhoarepartofanextendedcommunitywithsharedresponsibility.Umojaprogramssystematicallycreateastructureandspaceand,moreimportantly,ahumanenvironment,whereBlackstudentscanexploretherichnessofAfricanAmericancultureandfeelsafe,seen,andheard.Umojaeducatorsnurturerelationshipsandcommunitytosupportstudents’growthinskills,confidence,anddeterminationtosucceedacademically.WhentheseBlackstudentssucceed,theyadvocateforthemselves,theirfamilies,andtheircommunities.Andtheycanbeavisibleresourcetothecampuscommunityworkingforequity.EducatorsatthegrowingnumberofCaliforniacommunitycollegesthathaveUmojaprogramscandrawonthestrengthsofUmojastudentsandeducatorstomaketheircampusmorewelcomingforAfricanAmericanstudentsoverall.FacultyincludingcounselorsandstaffcancollaboratewiththelocalUmojaprogramandexpandthecommunityfosteredbyUmojatomakethesuccessesofAfricanAmericanstudentsvisibleandtoincludemorestudents.EducatorsatcommunitycollegesthatdonothaveUmojaorotherprogramsforAfricanAmericanstudentscanlearnfromtheUmojaexperiencesaswell.Umojapracticescanbeappliedinanyclassroomandinanyinteractionwithstudents.EducatorswhocaredeeplyaboutequityandcareabouttheacademicsuccessofAfricanAmericanstudentscanintentionallylistentostudents,buildrelationships,andcreateenvironmentsthatsupportthesuccessoftheirAfricanAmericanstudents.TheprinciplesandpracticesoftheUmojaCommunityaddressboththestrengthsandneedsofAfricanAmericanstudents.Colleges—asinstitutionsandascommunitiesofindividuals—canmakeequityaliveinpersonalterms.
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McPhail,C.J.(2011).Thecompletionagenda:Acalltoaction.AmericanAssociationofCommunityColleges.Retrievedfromhttp://www.aacc.nche.edu/About/completionchallenge/Documents/Completion_Toolkit_Complete.pdfNationalPublicRadio(NPR).2016.Biasisn’tjustapoliceproblem,it’sapre-schoolproblem.Retrievedfromhttp://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/09/28/495488716/bias-isnt-just-a-police-problem-its-a-preschool-problemSchottFoundationForPublicEducation.(2015).Blacklivesmatter:TheSchott50statereportonpubliceducationandblackmales.Revised2015Report.Retrievedfromhttp://www.blackboysreport.org/2015-black-boys-report.pdfStanfordCenterforEducationPolicyAnalysis(CEPA).(2016).Racialandethnicachievementgaps.TheEducationalOpportunityMonitoringProject.Retrievedfromhttp://cepa.stanford.edu/educational-opportunity-monitoring-project/achievement-gaps/race/Steele,C.(2010).Whistlingvivaldi:Howstereotypesaffectusandwhatwecando.W.W.Norton&Co.Strauss,V.,(2016).U.S.highschoolgraduationrateisup—butthere’sawarninglabelattached.WashingtonPost.Retrievedfromhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/10/27/u-s-high-school-graduation-rate-is-up-but-theres-a-warning-label-attached/Tinto,V.(1987).Leavingcollege:Rethinkingthecausesofcuresofstudentattrition.UniversityofChicagoPress.U.S.DepartmentofEducation(USDoE).(2015).Schoolcompositionandtheblack-whiteachievementGap.NationalAssessmentofEducationalProgress;NationalCenterforEducationStatisticsNAEP&NCES.Retrievedfromhttps://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/studies/pdf/school_composition_and_the_bw_achievement_gap_2015.pdfU.S.DepartmentofEducation(USDoE).(2014).Civilrightscollectiondatasnapshot:Schooldiscipline.OfficeForCivilRights.Retrievedfromhttps://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/crdc-discipline-snapshot.pdfAuthorBiographyRoseAsera,Ph.D.isaqualitativeresearcherandevaluatorwhohasworkedinhighereducationformorethantwenty-fiveyears.ForadecadesheworkedwithProfessorUriTreismanoneducationalprogramsdesignedtoincreasesuccessinmathematicsattheUniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeleyandsubsequentlyattheUniversityofTexasatAustin.
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AsaSeniorScholarattheCarnegieFoundationfortheAdvancementofTeaching,Dr.AserawasthedirectorofStrengtheningPre-collegiateEducationinCommunityColleges,anactionresearchprojectaddressingbasicskillsinCaliforniacommunitycolleges.ShehasbeenpartofthesteeringcommitteeoftheStrengtheningStudentsSuccessConferencesinceitsinceptionin2006.Intheearly1990s,shewasaVisitingFulbrightScholarattheInstituteofTeacherEducationKyambogo,Uganda,andworkedwithUNICEFinKampala,Ugandaondevelopmentofhealtheducationmaterials.AcknowledgmentsWithabundantthankstoLearningWorksforthegrantthatsupportedinitialdevelopmentofthisdocumentandtoUmojaCommunitymembers:TeresaAldredge,DonnaColondres,TomdeWit,KarenMcCord,JudyMays,JeriMarshallforthethoughtfulconversationsthatshapedthispaper.Thanks,andappreciationtoCarolynMahoneyandAudriesBlakeforreadinganearlydraftandtoD’KarlaAssagaiforhelpfuleditorialsuggestions.MoniqueWilliamsofferedvisualandaestheticcontributionsthathelpedenvisionthefinalpaper.AndfinalthankstoJulieAdamsformovingthisfromfinaldrafttocompletion.DeeppersonalthankstothemanyfacultyandstudentsatCosumnesRiverCollege,SolanoCollege,ChabotCollege,ChaffeyCollege,FullertonCollege,SanBernardinoCollege,andSkylineCollegeaswellasthestudentsattheannualconferenceandregionalsymposiawhogenerouslysharedtheirthoughts,insights,andtheUmojaspirit.
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