John,
[ [link removed] ]We need all hands on deck to keep the oldest Black community school in
the US open.
[ [link removed] ][IMG]
Ujamaa School is a small but mighty independent, non-profit Black
community school in the Shaw/Howard University neighborhood of Washington,
DC, educating children from age two through high school and boasting a
100% college acceptance rate. This school develops and prepares Black
children to not only excel academically but also instills positive
self-image in them and has been doing so consistently since 1968. But this
year, due to the pandemic, Ujamaa has been struggling to keep its doors
open.
Like too many other Black institutions that did not receive economic
relief through the federal stimulus packages released earlier this year,
Ujamaa has been forced to downsize its student capacity and, in turn, has
lost out on necessary funding, all while operating expenses continue to
accrue. Ujamaa School does not accept any money from corporations or
governments in order to protect the integrity of its mission. It is
completely funded by parents, teachers, alumni, and everyday people, like
you and I, who love and support Black children. That’s why we need your
help to keep the doors of this school open.
[ [link removed] ]John, will you chip in to support our continuing work
prioritizing Black children and culturally competent education?
Our goal is to raise $50,000 for Ujamaa School. Right now the school
needs:
1. $500 for monthly operating expenses such as electricity, gas, and
water bills
2. A newly required insurance coverage that costs $15,000
3. To pay the teachers whose livelihoods are tied to the school’s
operation
4. Renovations for the upkeep of the school building estimated at
$200,000
^[ [link removed] ]Yes, COUNT ME IN!
Black children are overrepresented in underperforming schools across the
nation, but we know that our children are fully capable of achieving
success and will thrive when in healthy school environments. The concept
of Ujamaa School evolved out of a critical need to undo the miseducation
of Black children in public schools by replacing it with a program that
placed specific emphasis on the cultural aspects of education and by
actively involving parents in the school’s activities. At Ujamaa School,
children as young as two years old are taught how to read, write, add, and
subtract. By the time students reach the Kalfani class--9th grade in
public school terms--they are in Panafrican critical thinking classes and
present a seven-page term paper in front of their class every month.
Ujamaa students master the SAT and go on to be outstanding college
students, with an average GPA of 3.5. Keeping Ujamaa School open will
ensure that there are more high-achieving Black children in an academic
environment that has demonstrated its success over and over again.
[ [link removed] ]Ujamaa School is Black Excellence! We must fight for the continuance of
this legacy! Help power us monthly.
Founded by an organizer of the Freedom Rides and the Student Nonviolent
Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Dr. El Senzengakalu Zulu is a trailblazer
who also fought alongside civil rights activists Fannie Lou Hamer, Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, Jesse Jackson, and DC’s very own
Marion Barry. Ujamaa School has impacted generations of Black families in
DC and continues to be a community staple in DC. “Ujamaa” is a Kiswahili
word that means familyhood or cooperative economics. In that same spirit,
our commitment to Black people includes us working together to protect and
defend our institutions. Here’s how it will work:
[ [link removed] ]If 25 people give $25, the cost of one month’s utility bills would be
covered
[ [link removed] ]If 50 people give $50, some renovations would be covered
[ [link removed] ]If 100 people give $100, then the cost of insurance would be covered
Even if you can’t commit to any of those amounts, we really mean it when
we say no donation amount is too small. We can still reach our goal with
the collective smaller donations from Color Of Change members like you.
Help us make that happen. Chip in to support another 50 years of Ujamaa
School building Black scholars and keeping the oldest independent Black
community school in the US alive!
Until justice is real,
Jade, Arisha, Rashad, Johnny, Evan, Amanda, Eesha, Imani, Marie,
Gabrielle, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade, Taurjhai, Stasia, Jennette, Ciera,
and the rest of the COC team
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ [link removed] ]ColorOfChange is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black
folks and our allies, and win real social and political change.
<style type="text/css">
blockquote .original-only,
.WordSection1 .original-only
{
display: none !important;
}
</style>
<div class=".original-only">
You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]
</div>
