Umoja Community Education Foundation, Inc.

💥 Conference Keynote Announcement 💥 Chike Akua, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Clark Atlanta University and one of the most sought-after speakers at urban schools, colleges, universities and educational conferences.  As a former underperforming student who struggled in high school, Dr. Akua understands the process of personal and cultural transformation to inspire today’s students.   Dr. Akua’s book, Honoring Our Ancestral Obligations: 7 Steps to Black Student Success is used in a number of Umoja programs, Upward Bound programs, colleges and universities nationally.  Dr. Akua is the author of 12 books in total, producer of a series of historical videos online and 70 Black History and African Proverb Posters along with impactful online curricula for students, parents, teachers and leaders. Dr. Akua earned a doctorate in educational policy studies at Georgia State University, a Master of Arts degree in education with a concentration in school counseling from Clark Atlanta University and is a graduate of Hampton University where he earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in English Education. Dr. Akua has been featured in Ebony magazine and more recently in Black Enterprise magazine and The Washington Post for his work as an innovative educational leader. He has helped lead over 1000 students and parents on trips throughout Egypt, Ghana, Senegal and Morocco through the African Genesis Institute.  Dr. Akua is the father of two sons and resides just outside of Atlanta, GA in the US with his wife of thirty years. 💫 We are thrilled to have Dr. Chike Akua join us at the 2024 Umoja XX Conference! 💫 ⬇️ Time is running out! Click the link below to register now!!! ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gh28P6gz

💥 Conference Speaker Announcement 💥 John Jennings is a professor, author, graphic novelist, curator, Harvard Fellow, New York Times Bestseller, 2018 Eisner Winner, and all-around champion of Black culture. As Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at the University of California at Riverside (UCR), Jennings examines the visual culture of race in various media forms including film, illustrated fiction, and comics and graphic novels. He is also the director of Abrams ComicArts imprint Megascope, which publishes graphic novels focused on the experiences of people of color. His research interests include the visual culture of Hip Hop, Afrofuturism and politics, Visual Literacy, Horror, and the EthnoGothic, and Speculative Design and its applications to visual rhetoric. Jennings is co-editor of the 2016 Eisner Award-winning collection The Blacker the Ink: Constructions of Black Identity in Comics and Sequential Art (Rutgers) and co-founder/organizer of The Schomburg Center’s Black Comic Book Festival in Harlem. He is co-founder and organizer of the MLK NorCal’s Black Comix Arts Festival in San Francisco and also SOL-CON: The Brown and Black Comix Expo at the Ohio State University. 💫 We are excited to be able to bring John Jennings and his amazing work to the 2024 Umoja XX Conference! 💫 ⬇️ You won't want to miss this; register now!!! ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gh28P6gz

💥 Conference Kemetic Yoga Announcement 💥 Angie Franklin is the founder and CEO of Afro Yoga, a global movement redefining wellness. She is a 4x lululemon ambassador and 20 year yoga practitioner with over 400 hours of certifications in Kemetic, Vinyasa and Yin yoga. Her work also intersects where wellness and social justice meet. She's led corporate wellness programming, leadership retreats and trainings for Fortune 500 companies like Lululemon, the NBA, Microsoft, New York Times, Kaiser Permanente and more. From CEO's to everyday practitioners, she is deeply passionate about helping people improve their quality of life through ancient yogic traditions. 💫 Come be a part of this amazing experience with the Umoja Community!💫 ⬇ Click the link below to register now!!! ⬇ https://lnkd.in/gh28P6gz

💥 Conference Speaker Announcement 💥 Ronald F. Ferguson is an MIT-trained economist who focuses social science research on economic, social, and educational challenges. He has been on the faculty at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government since 1983, after full-time appointments at Brandeis and Brown Universities. In 2014, he co-founded Tripod Education Partners, and shifted into an adjunct role at the Kennedy School, where he remains a fellow at the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy and faculty director of the university-wide Achievement Gap Initiative (AGI). During the 1980s and ‘90s, Ron focused much of his attention on economic and community development. That work culminated in the social science synthesis volume Urban Problems and Community Development (1999), which remains an important text in graduate policy courses. By the late1980s, he had begun to study education and youth development because academic skill disparities were contributing to growing wage disparity. During the 1990s and early 2000s, his writings on the topic appeared in publications of the National Research Council, the Brookings Institution, the U.S. Department of Education, and various books and journals. In December 2007, Harvard Education Press published his book Toward Excellence with Equity: An Emerging Vision for Closing the Achievement Gap. A February 2011 profile of Ron in the New York Times wrote, “There is no one in America who knows more about the gap than Ronald Ferguson.” Ron’s current focus as AGI director is an initiative entitled the Boston Basics. It takes a socio-ecological saturation approach, collaborating with many partners to reach extended families with caregiving advice for infants and toddlers. In addition, Ron is co-authoring a book with journalist Tatsha Robertson on the ways that highly successful people were parented. Ron holds an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and a PhD from MIT, both in economics. He has been happily married for 38 years and is the father of two adult sons. 💫 We're thrilled to welcome Dr. Ronald Ferguson to our annual Umoja Conference! Get ready for an impactful experience! 💫 ⬇ Don't miss out! Click the link below to register for the 2024 Umoja XX Conference!!! ⬇ https://lnkd.in/gh28P6gz

💫 Calling All Vendors!!! 💫 Don't miss the opportunity to showcase your offerings to a diverse and engaged audience. With significant exposure to students, professionals, and industry leaders eager to explore innovative products, services, educational programs, and culturally relevant goods, your presence at this conference will enhance your brand visibility and allow you to network with potential partners, clients, and prospective hires. Additionally, you’ll have the unique chance to meet and hire top candidates, driving engagement and gaining invaluable insights from the vibrant interactions and discussions. Don’t miss this chance to position your organization at the forefront of industry advancements and educational excellence. Reserve your booth today and be a pivotal part of this transformative experience. #UmojaXXConference #BlackOwnedBusiness #CulturalVendors #ShowcaseYourBrand #CommunityVendors ⬇ Click the link below to secure your spot today! ⬇ https://lnkd.in/dC_HU6RN

💥 Conference Speaker Announcement 💥 Jessica Care Moore is one of the leading voices of her generation. An award-winning poet, recording artist, book publisher, activist, cultural arts curator, and filmmaker, she is executive producer and founder of Black WOMEN Rock! - Daughters of Betty, a 20-year-old rock & roll institution, concert and empowerment weekend, and she is the founder of the literacy driven 501c3, The Moore Art House. Her nonprofit organization in Detroit dedicated to elevating literacy through the arts in neighborhoods and schools. We are excited to announce we will be at the JW Marriott Los Angeles | L.A. Live. This year’s theme is "Voices of the Future: Elevating Student Leadership and Agency" and we aim to inspire and empower students to recognize their potential and advocate for themselves and their communities. ⬇ Click the link below to register!!! ⬇ https://lnkd.in/gh28P6gz

💥 We are thrilled to announce the release of the Umoja 2023-2024 Year in Review Report! 💥 Dive into a year of impactful stories, community highlights, and the incredible progress made by the Umoja Community Education Foundation. Don't miss out on celebrating our achievements and envisioning the future together! Read the full report now. 💫 #UmojaCommunity #YearInReview #StudentSuccess #LeadershipDevelopment #CommunityEmpowerment #StudentEmpowerment #CulturalEmpowerment Eric Mayes Ph.D., Ed.M., Carmen Perkins, Mayen B. Udoetuk, Ed.D., Reginald Shaw Jr., Myia C. Williams, M.A.Ed, Dr. Julian West, Anita Bailey M.S., Rashall Hightower, Ahmed Naguib, Ed.D., Ehsam Kazimi, Jahkiya McLoskey, Jeromy Dickerson, Na'eem Wilkins, Kiana Foxx, PhD, Courtney Franklin, Dr. Damien Danielly, Nia Bush, JD, Maryhelen Blake, De'Von T Walker, Alexandra Curtis

The 20th Annual Umoja Conference presents the Fall Faculty Institute, which is a specialized faculty track for the deeper exploration of this year’s theme, “Voices of the Future: Elevating Student Leadership and Agency!” We invite all college faculty to join us for a specialized conference track that emphasizes the importance of culturally responsive pedagogy, counseling, and assessment. This special conference track will leverage innovative thinking and evidence-based principles to accelerate learning and belonging for Black college students, while also exploring ways to reduce the persistence of educational inequities impacting student success. #AcceleratedLearning #RetainBlackStudents #InclusivePedagogy #SelfActualization #BuildingCommunalIntelligence #InnovativeEducation #AfricanCentered #CulturalEducation #IntrusiveCounseling   

💫 A Time to Remember! - The Student Leadership Summit 2024 💫 SLS 2024 brought in over 200 Umoja Community students, staff, and volunteers. Plus, the gracious partnership of UC San Diego students, faculty, and staff. Empowered by Lorraine Hansberry’s famous quote, “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.” This year's SLS theme reflected on the call to action for Umoja Scholars to accept the torch of leadership. With this, teaching the next generation of Umoja students to own their identity and be audacious in their quest for self-actualization. Students learned the significance of establishing a leadership counsel for Umoja Programs, engaged in intentional and deliberate advocacy, and discussed issues of protest occurring on a global level. Moreover, students connected with social justice leaders in higher education, like Dr. Calvin Mackie, President and CEO of STEMNOLA. Students felt valued and were provided with space to explore the realities of leadership in their varied identities. Umoja students marveled and led in ways that showcased their ability to lead, while being affirmed and uplifted as Black people. Through ritual, dance, song, laughter, and rich history, our connectedness to the African Diaspora aided in the holistic transformation of our students and their deep self-development. The Student Leadership Summit brought together the Umoja Community in California and Washington for cross-regional collaboration, advocacy, training, and support to go into the academic year with ambition and strategic planning. The SLS 24 enhanced students' understanding and knowledge of the admissions and transfer process within the UC system. Students lodged in the residence halls, ate in the dining facilities, and lived for 3-days as future and potential UC students. The SLS infused the university experience at UC San Diego, to broaden student's knowledge of self-efficacy, self-actualization, and connectedness to the African Diaspora as a revolutionary leader once they pursue other avenues in their educational journey. We know that for true transformation to occur, our students need a holistic experience, and that is what happened at the SLS 2024! We look forward to doing this again and elevating SLS 2025 to another level!

The Umoja XX Conference is coming to Southern California on October 31 – November 2, 2024!