UMOJA: BLACK GRADUATION CELEBRATION
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LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS


UMOJA STEERING COMMITTEE 2013

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(Front row)
Dr. Mohamed Nur-Awaleh
Janessa Williams
Dr. Pamela Twyman Hoff. (Co-Chair)
Flourice Richardson, 
(Co-Chair)
Doni Walker
Senesta Davis

Not pictured - Obi Agbo
(Back row)
Genesis Smith
LaCrisha McAllister
Christa Platt
Lindsey Vahl
Tanye Harrison
Aaron Cooper
Tamekia Bailey
Chereka Dickerson


 Dua baako gye mframa a εbu
“If one tree stands in the path of the wind, it is likely to break”
Meaning: One person cannot take on the whole responsibility, else they will fall or be defeated. We should be responsible together and for each other.

COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATION

Black Graduate Student Association
My Sister's Keeper
Black Student Union
Association of Black Academic Employees
​ISU Black Colleagues Association



HARAMBEE CIRCLE OF CULTURE
Gold Sponsors 

Dr. Amelia Adkins 
Dr. Lee Brasseur 
Jeffrey Brumfield 
Dr. Becca Chase 
Dr. Ricardo Cruz 
John Davenport 
Dr. Venus Evans Winters 
Linda Foster 
Dr. Diane Gardner 
Dr. Angela Haas 
Dr. Elaine Hardy 
Dr. Duriel E. Harris 
Dr. Beth Hatt 
Dr. Kristina Hesbol 
Shawn Hitchcock 
Dr. Pamela Twyman Ho
ff 
Aja Holmes
Dr. Doris Houston
Dr. Julie Jung
Dr. Lydia Kyei-Blankson
Dr. Karla Martin
Dr. Phyllis McCluskey-Titus
Dr. Mohamed Nur-Awaleh
Dr. Stacy Otto
Dr. Paula Ressler
Flourice Richardson
Lindsay Vahl
Daphyne Walker
Doni Walker
Janessa Williams
Tuwana Wingfield 
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SILVER SPONSORS

The Office of the President
The Graduate School
Graduate Programs in English Studies 

COMMUNITY SPONSORS

ISU Black Colleague Association
Association of Black Academic Employees at ISU 
Bloomington/Normal NAACP
Cultural Career Network Program (CCNP)
Diversity Advocacy (DOS)

SPECIAL THANKS 

Interdenominational Youth Choir 
A.B.L.A.Z.E. (Abiding, Believing, and Living Actively as Zealous Examples) Dance Ministry 

Dr. A. Oforiwaa Aduonum 
Kayodi Ajayi 

Umoja African Dance & Drum Group 
Dancers: Muriel Dorsey       Drummers: William Shaw 
             Kendrea Dudley                       Cameron Wilson
             Krystal Barnes 
 
Host of Volunteers and Friends of the Community 
The audacity of people to celebrate difference by Ariana M. Taylor, Columnist Vidette Online April 28, 2013

INAUGUAL UMOJA CELEBRATION THEME

FROM TIMBUKTU TO ISU:
REAFFIRMING THE LEGACY OF GREATNESS

INAUGURAL KEYNOTE SPEAKER​
DR. PAMELA TWYMAN HOFF

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2013 Umoja Celebration Program
File Size: 844 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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CULTURAL RELEVANCE

The Illinois State University (ISU) Umjoa:  Black Graduation Celebration was born from the hearts and minds of African American students, faculty, alumni and staff.  It arose from a desire to acknowledge and celebrate the unique educational challenges, experiences, struggles and successes of students within the context of African and African-American culture.  Within this cultural context, the event serves individual, group and socio-cultural purposes. Primarily, the event seeks to create a unique and culturally rich space that celebrates the successful completion and the awarding of degrees to graduates with the support of and their families, faculty and staff.  
 
In addition, the event serves as unifying symbol of perseverance in the recognition of a shared socio-cultural, political and educational history.  Conceptualized within the African American tradition of transformative resistance, the event seeks to foster and extend dialogues that promote self-determination as it relates to retention.  Finally, the event seeks to expand and ignite a counter narrative that disrupts the prevalence of deficit thinking and theorizing in education.     

Within the context of these critical purposes the theme from
Timbuktu to ISU: Reaffirming the Legacy of Greatness emerged. Timbuktu, an intellectual center was a part of the Western Sudanic Civilizations.  The Western Sudanic Civilizations of Ghana, Mali and Songhai, situated on the west coast of Africa, were characterized by stability and similarity (Karenga, 2002). In this educational context, the great civilization of Mali provides historical significance and inspiration.

The Mali empire rose from the disintegrated Ghanaian Empire, and its first named emperor was Sundiata who ruled from approximately 1230 until 1255.  His control of the trans-Saharan trade eliminated his enemies, and brought wealth to the country.  Without wars Sundiata focused his attention on the development of agriculture. 
This focus established Mali as one of the richest agricultural areas in West Africa (Karenga, 2002).  Perhaps the most well-known emperor of the Malian empire was Mansa Musa.  From 1312 until 1332 Musa reigned as the Malian emperor expanding and growing the populous to approximately 10 million.  His contribution to the development of African civilization was solidified in his building of University of Sankore at Timbuktu. Timbuktu became an intellectual epicenter that attracted students and scholars from around the world.  Even when the Malian empire began to decline its legacy laid the foundation for recognition and respect for Africa below the Sahara during its time.

In the 1400s the Malian Empire began its decline, as the Songhai Empire rose to establish its powerful legacy.  Askia Muhammad, marked in history as
Askia
the Great
built the largest empire in West and Central Africa. His best known achievements are in the areas of intellectual development.  He developed universities in Gao, Jenne and Timbuktu wherein which subjects such as literature, math, science, biology and grammar were taught.  Students and scholars from Asia, parts of Africa, Europe and the Muslim world studied at the university.

It is from this legacy of intellectual development that the event, the Umjoa:  Black Graduation Celebration draws its cultural fervor.  The event is an acknowledgement of this history and seeks to re-vitalize and re-affirm graduates, current students and future students of a lineage of academic achievement and social transformation.  

INAUGURAL CLASS OF 2013

UNDERGRADUATES

Ngozi Agomo 
Brittni Anderson 
Dominique Arrington 
Dion Banister 
Anthony Bowers 
Lauren Bradley 
Courtney Brooks 
Karyn Burns 
Aaron Cooper 
Alexis Curington 
Monique Davis 
Brooke Greenwood 
Monica Hamilton 
Dominique Harris 
Rachel Hawkins 
Michaura Hill 
Nichelle Howard 
Cari Johnson 
Ebony Johnson 
Danielle King 
Kimberly King 
Vania Lott 
Nicholas Malvin 
LaCrisha McAllister 
Candice Moore 
Paris Porter 
Larry Quinn 
Christa Shavers
Raven Smith 

O'Cephus Starks 
Brandon Stevens 
Samantha Stewart 
Emmia Sykes 
Ariana Taylor 
Angelica Taylor 
Gabrielle Thomas 
David Walker 
Jamere Walton 
Chardai Washington 
Rachel Watkins 
Zakiya Williams 
Ebony Withers ​​

GRADUATES 

Senesta Davis 
Vance GodBold 
Katrina Jackson 
Janelle Love ​
Helen Woldemichael ​

Read article by Veronica Wells (June 12, 2012)
LOUD CHEERS, NO ARRESTS & CULTURAL CELEBRATION: THE NEED FOR BLACK GRADUATION CEREMONIES

UMOJA 2014
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