The story of UVA Ubunye began in early 2023, when Debby Stroman (Educ class of ’82) asked several Black alumni friends from across different generations to come together to make a dream a reality. With a shared vision, these alumni engaged in extensive dialogue with peers and members of the University community to envision new opportunities to collaboratively support engagement within the Black alumni community. Leaning on previous activities and leadership experiences with Black Alumni Weekend (BAW), Divine Nine, and The Ridley Scholarship program, these alumni put in motion a valued entity that would be the “umbrella connector for all things Black” at the University. With the support of the administration, Ubunye was officially launched as an Alumni Interest Group (AIG) on November 8, 2023.
Ubunye is a self-governed community of UVA alumni bound by a shared UVA affinity or identity, supported by the UVA Alumni Association. This structure places Ubunye alongside other important alumni groups including sports teams, Greek organizations, and various student organization alumni networks.
The formation of Ubunye represents a grassroots effort led by alumni who recognized the need for a comprehensive resource specifically designed to serve and unite UVA’s Black alumni community. This desire for an official organization was not new as alumni since the 1970s have expressed the need to organize for the benefit of a very engaged alumni community. The UVA Black alumni community comprises over 17,000 graduates with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and journeys, representing a vibrant community of Hoos dedicated to each other and to future generations of Black students. Ubunye was designed to work in harmony with existing University programs and initiatives. The organization exists to expand engagement and support of UVA’s Black alumni community, complementing the longstanding work of existing programs that serve the UVA Black community such as the Office of African American Affairs (OAAA), Black Alumni Weekend, and The Ridley Scholarship Program. Ubunye serves as both a bridge between past and present and a foundation for supporting future generations of Black students at the University. As we continue to grow and evolve, Ubunye carries forward the legacy of unity and service that has long characterized our Black alumni experience at the University of Virginia.
Keeping Up with BSA – Summer Break!
The Black Student Alliance closed out the year strong and is enjoying a summer of internships, travel, and time away from Charlottesville. Here are some final updates along with our sincere gratitude to you all for your support during this school year and to Ubunye – for allowing us to contribute to the newsletters this year!
Spring Semester Recap
Throughout this semester, our committees hosted a number of events for students and community members. February was filled with events in honor of Black History Month, hosting our annual Black Culture Week, which ended with our annual anticipated event Black Ball – hosted by our Special Events Committee. Our Political Action Committee partnered to host two Know Your Rights events, helping our community stay sharp, empowered, and ready to advocate for themselves. Our Professional Development Committee hosted “Meet the Lawnies” and celebrated UVA Dine employees with a day of appreciation with roses and notes. The full calendar of events from this past semester is below:
General Body Meetings:
- Wild N Out (in collaboration with the Organization of African Students)
Black Culture Week
- Black History Bingo
- Black Art House
- Dance Workshop (in collaboration with AfroHoos Dance Team)
- Black Ball
Roses of Gratitude
Collaboration Events:
- Black Love Soiree
- Black Love Symposium
- Know Your Rights
- The Kookout
- Sunset Series
- Pie Your President
2025-2026 Leadership Results
We are so excited to announce our 2025-2026 Executive Board! We are excited to welcome a new set of leaders and see all that they will do to continue our organization’s mission!
BSA 2025-2026 LeadershipPresident: Chandler Nandkumar
Vice President: Zoey Brooks
Secretary/Historic and Alumni Relations Chair: Kishanti Barmoh
Chief Financial Officer: Cayla Carter
Social Cultural Chair: Taliya Moss-Melendez
Social Cultural Vice Chair: Joseph Jones
Community Engagement Chair: Rachel Dereje
Community Engagement Vice Chair: Katherine Rattray
Political Action Chair: Naomi Tesfaye
Political Action Vice Chair: Samiya Williams
Professional Development Chair: Ruth Melese
Historic and Alumni Relations Vice Chair: Riley-Paige Belisle
Thank you for Keeping Up with BSA! We hope you all have an amazing summer, and we are looking forward to continuing to work with you all next school year!
Kishanti Barmoh, Chair of Historic and Alumni Relations
Zoey Brooks, Director of Communications
Get Involved!
Are you working in the mental counseling, fitness or health space? Ubunye wishes to know who you are! As you know, the demands and interest in coaching, guidance, and treatment for life’s challenges is increasing every day. Our UVA students and parents often seek advice, and we wish to support them. And as always, we continue to encourage professional help, so our goal is to share your contact information with students and alumni. Please complete this informational survey to join the list of mental health professionals that provide counseling and care to the community.
If you are an attorney or entrepreneur, we’d also love to hear from you! Please consider listing your business with Ubunye to stay connected. We also have a database of Black alumni who have passed.
Hoos Getting to Know You
Charlene Miott-Jones (Educ class of ’84) co-leads Ubunye’s Recognition & Celebration committee. She is a dedicated alumna and elementary school speech-language pathologist in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Charlene states, “Ubunye is crucial for the Black alumni community to maintain connections with one another, share information, and honor our predecessors. Ubunye also strives to connect with current UVA students by sharing our experiences and connections to assist them.”
A favorite quote: “I never lose, I either win or I learn.” Nelson Madela
What do you love about the Black community or being Black? Brilliance and Beautiful Shades
What do you know for sure? Music is life.
Who do you admire (living)? First Lady Michelle Obama
What gives you hope? My faith in the Lord
What would you tell your younger teenage self? Stop trying to please people, love yourself, and believe. Your definition of leadership: The ability of a person to instruct, listen, lead, learn collaborate and serve.
Alumni Interest Groups Collaboration
We are elated by the success of our first in person gathering on June 12 in New York and D.C. with the Asian and Asian Pacific American Alumni Network (AAPAAN) and The Bolívar Network (Hispanic and Latino/e community). Our ongoing conversations and association with one another are important as we grow our organizations, share approaches to unification, and ideate ways to support University activities. Many thanks to Claudia Bonilla (Col class of ’17), Bolívar Network co-president; Rodney Rhodes (Batten class of ’23), Ubunye co-president; and Debby Stroman (Educ class of ’82), Ubunye co-president for your help organizing and attending the DC event (pictured above right).
Celebrate Our Past!
Ubunye began a very first-ever important project last year to identify the pioneering alumni who chose Virginia “against all odds.” These trailblazers who enrolled during the years of 1953-1972 provide additional inspiration to continue to advocate for our rights and being at UVA and beyond during these challenging economic and political times. As we finalize the identification of these alums, please let us know if we missed anyone. Send an email with the name, year of the alum, and your contact information to ubunyeuva@gmail.com.