AFRIKAN BLACK COALITIONANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014

MOVING ABC FORWARD

Annual Report of the Afrikan Black Coalition, 2013-2014. Afrikan Black Coalition. Oakland, California. December 2014

Photos and Layout by Rasheed Shabazz, Communications Director, Afrikan Black Coalition.

Available online at AfrikanBlackCoalition.org/Media-Resources/Publications/Annual-Report/2014

MISSION As one of the only system-wide collectives for Black students, the Afrikan Black Coalition is a vital tool in promoting networking amongst peers, generating positive images of Black students and staff to their

campus communities, inspiring innovation, and providing an environment where the Black cultural

experience is valued. ABC is designed to unify Black students across the UC system in order to discuss and resolve issues concerning academic policy, campus

climate, matriculation from the University, and more. ABC presents the opportunity for unity in spite of

geographical boundaries.

[ 2 ]Mission

[ 4 ]Letter from the Chair

[ 6 ]Our Work

[ 7 ]2013-2014 By the Numbers

[ 8 ]Black Student Leadership Training

[ 10 ]The ABC Movement

[ 12 ]Camp Uhuru

[ 14 ]Annual Conference

[ 16 ]Press + Visibility

[ 18 ]Highlights

[ 20 ]Central Committee

[ 21 ]Staff[ 22 ]

Acknowledgments[ 23 ]

Financial Report [ 24 ]

Vision for 2014-15

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LETTER FROM THE COALITION CHAIR

This past year, the Afrikan Black Coalition has undergone a series of changes, challenges and successes to transform ourselves from a conference to a coalition. Our annual ABC Conference is a mobilizing space that gathers Black students from across the state to promote consciousness, networking, fun, and personal and community development. However, one conference will not substantively alter the condition of our community in the State. Real change requires power, and power is developed through effective organizing. Black People in America, in spite

of our condition that occasionally seems doomed, have the ability to liberate ourselves. We are a global people with spending power of $1.1 trillion annually, but spend our money outside our community. Many of us have college degrees and high school diplomas and work as professionals, yet this has not brought about massive change. Our condition has not changed

because we are not organized. Organizing is the ability to gather our gifts, skills, talents, and intellectual abilities toward

solving one common problem. We are not out-resourced. We are out-organized. ABC is transforming into an

institution that can organize our people. Imagine. If we could connect and unify Black Doctors all over the state, what kind of public health concerns would we be able to alleviate? If we organized Black High school outreach programs, how extensively could we expand their impact? ABC is growing to become an organizing hub for the development of Black People. If every Black student in ABC supported the demands of one

campus, how swiftly could we move campus politics?ABC is working to become a

vanguard in our Freedom Struggle. Young people and students kicked off the sit-in movement in 1960 and became vanguard, and it is our role today to become a Vanguard for change. Over the past year since our

initial attempt to transition, we have made extraordinary strides. The BSUs collectively elected Rasheed and I as interim executive staff in September 2013. Our primary focus was been leadership training, infrastructure development, and creating cohesion across the nine UC campuses, and beyond.In the area of leadership

development, we hosted our first Black Student Leadership Training (BSLT) and leadership trainings on each campus, training nearly 200 Black Student Leaders. In addition, the Central

Committee comprised of BSU Chairs formed as ABCs primary decision making body, representing your concerns. They meet monthly. ABC launched The ABC

Movement, a new publishing platform to tell our own stories. The Movement publishes print issues quarterly and launched

its website in February 2014. A collective of students interested in media also formed. Lastly, last year saw programmatic expenses in excess of $10,000. We have mad strategic attempts

at statewide strategies to create more of a collective among Black Students. Toward this end, we launched our first Black Power week in 2014. Weve also launched ABCs Social Media sites.Our biggest challenges remain

communication and coordination between campuses. Too often, campus responsibilities overshadow the potential of coalition. Also, with such low Black student numbers, our student leaders lack capacity and are overworked.We hope to create deeper

connections among student leaders and campuses next year. We also hope to create more opportunities to showcase the talents and skills of students and generate resources with alumni. Be on the lookout for your name to be called! We look forward to having a strong year with you all. In Revolutionary Love and

Solidarity,

Salih MuhammadChair, Afrikan Black Coalition

Through leadership development, grassroots organizing and media training,

and Afrikan-centered education, the Afrikan Black Coalition is developing our

generation of new Black leaders.

We accomplish this through combatting miseducation; leadership development and grassroots organizing; telling our stories by creating and disseminating our own media;

researching and sharing our collective Black histories; improving recruitment

and retention programs and resources for Black students; establishing networks between youth, staff, faculty, alumni

and community members; and sharing resources for our collective empowerment.

OUR WORK

copies of The ABC Movement distributed

2013-2014: BY THE NUMBERS

total black grad students

6,488

1,357

total black undergraduates

11,215

1,256

total black staff UC wide

total black faculty UC

1,750

6%CA Black percentage population

Percentage of Black students in for-profit colleges

10%Black percentage of undergraduate

population, UC Wide

3.6%

Black percentage of graduate student population, UC Wide

2.7%total ABC staff members2

32%Black college students drop out

30%Black Californians ages 25-34 have

Associates Degrees

active BSU members

The Afrikan Black Coalitions Black Student Leadership Training (BSLT) is an annual event organized to develop a new cadre of Black leaders. BSLT brings together Black Student Unions to provide students practical leadership skills, strategic and tangible planning modules, and historical context to impact their campuses and beyond.

In 2013, ABC hosted our first BSLT at UC Berkeley. The two-day convening included eight University of California campuses and reached 80 students. The event featured workshops, networking and guest speakers.

Guest speakers included: Nzinga Dugas, director of African American Student Development (AASD) at UC Berkeley; James Taylor, professor of African American Studies; Siri Brown, professor and chair of Africana Studies at Merritt College; and Calvin Williams, Urban Strategies Council. There was also an Elders Panel on the Origins of Black Student Activism, featuring: Sister Mikenya, mother of Kwanzaa; Leo Bazille, founder of Soul Students Advisory Council; Fred T. Smith, former Merritt College student body president; and Jimmy Garrett, former Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Rasheed Shabazz moderated the panel.

Attendees also voted to appoint Salih Muhammad and Rasheed Shabazz as interim chair and communications director, respectively.

BSLT: BLACK STUDENT LEADERSHIP TRAINING

afrikanblackcoalition.org/our-work/bslt

BSLT was also somewhat of the medicine I needed in my organizing life. Being around

so many Black folks motivated to make their BSUs effective to uplift their respective Black communities helped motivate me for the rest of

the year and gave me the focus I needed.

Gabrielle ShumanCo-Chair, Black Student Union, UC Berkeley

The ABC Movement is the Afrikan Black Coalitions latest innovation a quarterly print newspaper, online news website and grassroots media collective. In 2013, recognizing the need to increase communications between campuses, give students tangible skills, document our stories, support the existing Black Press, and heighten awareness of Black Student Unions and our Collective, ABC launched The ABC Movement.

The ABC Movement includes campus and statewide education news, arts and culture, opinions and health stories. The quarterly print publication includes content from each campus existing publications.

The Collective also works to maintain existing outlets, restart dormant publications, and launch new initiatives. This year, The Movement supported the existing outlets at UC Davis (BlackBook), UC Berkeley (Onyx Express) and UCLA (Nommo), as well as helped relaunch outlets at Santa Barbara (Blackwatch) and UC Irvine (Umoja News).

Over 40 students across seven UC campuses received basic instruction in journalism, includng newswriting, interviewing and photography.

The news website TheABCMovement.org was launched in 2014. The website has regular content from different campus outlets and more.

THE ABC MOVEMENT

afrikanblackcoalition.org/our-work/movement

ABC has much more potential than just the

conference. Black media has the ability to transform the perception of who we

are as Black students, both in how others see us, and more importantly, how we

view ourselves.

Orit Mohamed, former publicity chair, Black

Student Union at Berkeley

The Afrikan Black Coalition hosted Camp Uhuru in January 2014. Our first consciousness raising leadership camp was held in Hemet, Calif. and incorporated experiential learning for radical healing along with practical leadership skill development.

Inspired by Leadership Excellences Camp Akili, workshops included the Middle Passage, or Maafa Experience, and the Gender Walk. The Maafa Experience provides a simulation of our Ancestors experience of the Middle Passage, as a way of connecting to their experience for our own healing. The Gender Walk provides both a space for males to experience a glimpse of the daily misogyny females face, but also a forum for women to bond with each other and heal with men.

Camp Uhuru also featured presentations by Elaine Brown, former chairwoman of the Black Panther Party, Nuri Muhammad, student minister of the Nation Islam in Indianapolis; Saleem Shakir, educator and Oakland activist; and Mandla Kayise, UCLA alum and president of the New World Education organization.

Leadership development activities also included grassroots organizing training and a history of 1960s Black Student activism.

Uhuru is Swahili for Freedom.

CAMP UHURU

afrikanblackcoalition.org/our-work/camp-uhuru

The Afrikan Black Coalition returned to its roots when UC Santa Cruz hosted the 11th annual ABC conference in February 2014. Organized by UCSCs Conference Planning Committee, the event hosted over 600 students. The first annual conference was held at Santa Cruz in 2004.

The conference featured various workshops, speakers and activities. Keynote speakers included: Ambassador Atallah Shabazz, daughter of Malik El Shabazz (Malcolm X); former political prisoner and professor emeritus Angela Davis; Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale; and Dream Defenders director Phillip Agnew. Additional speakers included ABC and UCSC alumni Tiffany Lofkin and Ainye Long.

The annual conference is ABCs signature event for Black students in higher education in California. In addition to students from each of the nine UC campuses, many students from California State Universities (CSUs), California Community Colleges (CCCs), and private colleges and universities also attended.

ABC introduced The ABC Movement newspaper at the conference, as well as the UC Wide hashtag: #BlackUC. Staff also announced the intention to expand the Coalition beyond the annual conference to make an ongoing and significant impact on campus and the larger community.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

afrikanblackcoalition.org/our-work/conference

Im really challenged to think critically about social issues, my identity, the people Im around

and with a very solution-based mentality. Its nice to be

around Black people in academia its really breaking down

things, sharing books with each other and giving each other

access.

Shadin Awad, conference planning committee, 2014 ABC

Conference, UC Santa Cruz

AfrikanBlackCoalition.orgWe launched a new website and social media presence for the Coalition.

UC Black Studies 2013Our first report surveyed Black Studies in the University of California.

Umoja ConferenceRasheed Shabazz presented at the California Community Colleges

Umoja Conference in Alameda in November 2013.

#BlackUCWe introduced the #BlackUC hashtag at our annual conference in February to encouraging UC Wide networking on Social Media.

The ABC MovementWe launched The Movement website and newspaper.

Hoodies for TrayvonThree BSUs organized campus actions at UC Berkeley, Santa Barbara

and San Diego in memory of Trayvon Martin in February 2014.

Black Consciousness ConferenceSalih Muhammad presented at the Black Consciousness Conference at

Cal State Long Beach in March 2014.

Black Power WeekThe Coalition organized our first Black Power Week, with campuses

hosting solidarity events in April 2014.

Cal State Long Beach Black GraduationSalih Muhammad gave the keynote speech at the Cal State Long

Beachs Black Graduation in May 2014.

UC Santa Cruz Afrikan Culture ShowRasheed Shabazz spoke at June 2014 Afrikan Culture Show.

UC Black GraduationsStaff attended and photographed five UC Black Graduation ceremonies:

UC Berkeley, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara.

2013-2014: HIGHLIGHTS

Baba Mukasa (formerly Willie Ricks) speaks at UCLA during a Black Power Week event in April 2014. Mukasa worked with Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) and helped popularize the phrase Black Power in 1966 while working with SNCC, the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.

#bpw14: BLACK POWER WEEK

March 13, 2014

November 6, 2013

June 6, 2014

December 9, 2013 May 30, 2014

December 4, 2013

April 22, 2014

PRESS + VISIBILITY

NDIDIAMAKA DIDI OKWELOGU Chair, Black Student Union, UC Davis

MARCEL JONESChair, Black Student Union, UC Berkeley

GABRIELLE SHUMANCo-Chair of Community Affairs, Black Student Union, UC Berkeley

SABRINA ROBLEHCo-Chair of Political Affairs, Black Student Union, UC Berkeley

JEWELL HAYES-LONGChair, Afrikan/Black Student Student Alliance, UC Santa Cruz

DEVONYO BILLSPresident, Black Student Union, UC Merced

ALEXIS WRIGHTLISA BERRY

Co-Chairs, Black Student Union, UC Santa Barbara

KAMILAH MOOREChair, Afrikan Student Union, UCLA

DOMONIQUE CONNERLYCOURTNEY GREEN

Co-Presidents, African Student Alliance, UC Riverside

AYANA BAINESRASHIDA BLADES

Co-Chairs, Black Student Union, UC Irvine

ASHLEY DRAKEPresident, Black Student Union, UC San Diego

CENTRAL COMMITTEE

SALIH MUHAMMADExecutive Director and Chair

RASHEED SHABAZZCommunications Director

EXECUTIVE STAFF

Afrikan Black Coalition Communications Director Rasheed Shabazz and Executive Director Salih Muhammad at UC Berkeley Chancellors Awards in May 2013.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWe take this space to honor

to the Creator of all the Worlds and all life, known by many names to many people. We thank our Ancestors for leading and living by example. From those began civilization in our mother continent and who constructed great monuments in the Nile

Valley, to the great universities of West Africa.

Those who survived the Maafa and prayed that their seeds would one day grow to be a free people. And those lost their lives resisting enslavement and colonization.

We thank all the freedom fighters who taught us how to fight.

Judith Lee Stronach Baccalaureate Prize, UC Berkeley

Keith CarsonShawn Ginwright

Afro House (African American Theme House, UC Berkeley)

African American Theme Program, UC BerkeleyJerlena Griffin-Desta

Walter RobinsonKerby Lynch

Saleem ShakirAshley AaronDream Braggs

Charles PerkinsAshley AaronArika Wells

Scid Howard IIIIse Lyfe

Kristina ThomasMandla Kayise

James TaylorCalvin Williams

Leo BazilleMakinya Sibeko-Kouate

Fred T. SmithJimmy Garrett

Nuri MuhammadCedric Jones

Darren WallaceNzingha Dugas

Nailah NasirArnold Perkins

Arvli WardAllyssa Villanueva

Stephanie Ann-CalixJasmine Hill

Kashira AyersJessica RaysideOrit MohamedChristina NealKim McMillon

FINANCIAL EXPENSES

Nzingha Dugas, right, asks question during first Afrikan Black Coalition Focus Group, October 2013 at UC Berkeley.

Black Student Leadership Training

$2178

Camp Uhuru$4128

Executive Director Campus Tours

$1,014

Central Committee Meetings

$2665

VISION FOR 2014-2015In 2015, the Afrikan Black Coalition is

poised to expand its influence and increase its impact through strategic collaborations and partnerships. As youth and student activism continues to rise, we will fulfill our historic mission as the leaders for our generation.