The Afrikan Black Coalition was created in 2003 by Black students within the University of California system who found the low admittance and retention rates of Black students intolerable.
The derogatory relationship between the University and their Black student population was linked to historical oppression Black African people have faced throughout the advancement of western civilization. Thus UC-ABC was founded to preserve the cultural traditions and political fervor of Diasporic Africans, within the student population of the UC System.
Since then, the organization has branched out to be more inclusive of all Black students and community members in California. The collective has organized itself structurally, strategically formalizing an executive team to work with Black students and the community to successfully implement programs, projects, and trainings that empower all Afrikan people.
Founding members (2003) included Jewel Love (UCSB), Ainye Long & Edwina Williams (UCSC), Na’Shaun Neal & Catherine Sylvester (UCLA), Raniyah Abdus-Samad & Renita Chaney (UCB), Adia Smith & Venita Johnson (UCD), Tiana Lynch (UCI), and Stephanie Akpa (UCSD).
Objectives
Leadership Development
The condition of the Black community demonstrates the need for bold, innovative leadership. There are few national, or local efforts specifically aimed toward building the next generation of black leaders. If we are to be successful in transforming the condition of the Black community, there needs to be an infrastructure that can build this type of leadership nationally and locally.
Political Advocacy
The constant barrage of racially charged issues continues to lack the level of youthful engagement necessary to successfully change public opinion. The leadership development apparatus that the Afrikan Black Coalition creates will provide the tools necessary for effective grassroots organizing. For more information, visit the Afrikan Black Coalition Constitution.
Effective Communications & Media
Across the country, Black media outlets suffer from a lack of original content, youthful content, and modernization. Give voice to the voiceless. As a result, the Black press is often unable to persuade Black public opinion and be an arm of advocacy in the way it has been historically.
Funneling Black Resources
Ultimately, ABC’s success will be measured by our ability to tangibly impact the lived experiences of Black people both at home and abroad. Currently, there are Black professionals in nearly every field of endeavor. However, there are no current infrastructures that effectively connect and coordinate the resources of the Black Intelligentsia. We will accomplish this through a series of community engagement activities that seek to funnel the intellectual and economic resources of the Black Intelligentsia back into the larger Black community.
