The Ujima (Black/Afrikan) Senate Caucus aims to raise awareness and activism efforts regarding the Black/Afrikan undergraduate student population at UCI. Black/Afrikan students are a small population at UCI, and they are unfortunately neglected as a minority population (even in higher education as a whole).

Ujima is a swahili word that means “collective work.” We, the members of this Caucus, plan to work collectively to address the issues regarding the Black population.

We, the members of this Caucus, plan to strategize, collaborate, and give a voice to these students as we answer the response given to us by the Black Thriving Initiatives program at UCI. It is a university response to “anti-Blackness as an existential threat to our mission as a public research university.”

We are a Caucus that strives to advocate for equity and belonging for Black/Afrikan students at the University of California, Irvine.

Per R60-10: Establishment of the Ujima Senate Caucus, the goals of the Ujima Caucus are:

1. To promote justice and equity for Black/Afrikan UC Irvine students through inaccessible spaces like the ASUCI Senate.
2. To provide programming and resources for UC Irvine students to be involved within ASUCI’s Senate.
3. To assist in advocating for Black/Afrikan students through legislative efforts.
4. To establish a convening body of Black/Afrikan student advocates to build community, promote inclusivity, and belong together as we complete collective work.
5. To work closely with the Seat at the Table Identity Commissioner regarding collaborative efforts and initiatives.
6. To communicate with Black Leaders on Campus (BLOC) Organizations and the Center for Black Culture, Resources, and Research (CBCRR) for collaborative efforts and initiatives.