{"id":5,"date":"2023-09-12T09:36:09","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T13:36:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aig.alumni.virginia.edu\/ubunye\/?page_id=5"},"modified":"2026-09-15T13:22:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T17:22:21","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/aig.uvaalumni.org\/ubunye\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome to Ubunye!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ubunye, which means unity in Zulu, is the official interest group for UVA Black alumni. Consider Ubunye your home for activities, events, and news that promote and support Black excellence. Ubunye helps us collaborate and connect across the world!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Welcome to Ubunye: A New Academic Year, A Renewed Commitment<\/span><\/h2>\n

Dear UVA Black Alumni Community,<\/p>\n

Welcome to a new academic year\u2014and a new season of opportunity for Ubunye!<\/p>\n

We begin this year with tremendous pride and excitement. Ubunye is now successfully established as the official interest group for UVA Black alumni, supported by a remarkable team of volunteer leaders from across the country. These dedicated alumni bring different experiences, talents, professions, and class years to our shared work. What unites us is a deep love for our community and a commitment to strengthening the connections among Black alumni and with the University.<\/p>\n

\u201cUbunye\u201d means \u201cunity\u201d in Zulu, and unity remains at the heart of everything we do.<\/p>\n

As we celebrate our progress, we are also mindful of the world around us. We continue to stay abreast of national policy decisions and actions that threaten the progress, opportunities, and well-being of the Black community. We understand that these challenges can affect higher education and the experiences of Black students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Ubunye will remain attentive, engaged, and prepared to advocate for our being and belonging at the University of Virginia.<\/p>\n

Our presence matters. Our history matters. Our voices matter.<\/p>\n

Ubunye also exists to celebrate and support the people who make our community extraordinary. We want our Black students and faculty to have positive, affirming, and memorable experiences while studying, teaching, conducting research, and working at UVA. We want our alumni to remain connected and supported long after leaving Grounds\u2014whether they graduated last spring or many decades ago.<\/p>\n

Throughout the year, we will share programs, activities, accomplishments, news, and opportunities that promote Black excellence and strengthen our community. We invite you to explore the Ubunye website, learn more about our work, and discover ways to participate.<\/p>\n

Ubunye will grow stronger when more of us bring our time, ideas, energy, and relationships to the effort. We encourage you to volunteer for an activity or committee, attend an event, share information about an alumnus or student accomplishment, and offer ideas for programs that will serve our community. There is a place for you in this work.<\/p>\n

Let us begin this academic year with joy, purpose, and confidence in what we can accomplish together. We have inherited a powerful legacy at UVA, and we also have a responsibility to build upon it. Together, we can honor those who came before us, support those who are on Grounds today, and help create a stronger and more welcoming University for those who will follow.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s to another year of connection, advocacy, celebration, and unity.<\/p>\n

Wahoowa!<\/p>\n

Dr. Deborah Stroman (Col<\/abbr> class of <\/span>\u201982)<\/strong>
\nPresident<\/p>\n

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Introducing Ubunye: UVA Black Alumni Interest Group<\/span><\/h2>\n

L<\/strong>etter from Ubunye Executive Committee to the UVA Black Alumni Community on November 8, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our UVA Black alumni community is 17,000+ graduates with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and journeys. We are a vibrant community of Hoos dedicated to each other and to future generations of Black students. Today, we write to share information about a new alumni-led, Alumni Association-supported organization<\/strong> intended to support our ongoing connections with one another and our University.<\/p>\n

Over the past year, a working group of Black alumni across generations engaged in dialogue with peers and members of the University community to envision new opportunities to collaboratively support engagement within the Black alumni community. We are thrilled to now launch Ubunye, a self-governed alumni group established to serve as a comprehensive resource to the UVA Black alumni community.<\/strong> The glaring need for a central body to network and share information and best practices for academic and career success cannot be overstated. Ubunye means \u201cunity\u201d in Zulu, and we hope it will build on the work so many of you have undertaken over the years to serve and unite us, on Grounds and beyond.<\/p>\n

It is important to note that Ubunye will work only when we work! That is, we encourage Black alumni to get involved with Ubunye. We hope you will get involved with an Ubunye committee<\/a>; share activities, happenings, and opportunities for engagement<\/a>; provide feedback<\/a>; or ask questions. Examples include the posting of an organization\u2019s event(s), sharing of important information (e.g., the passing away of an alum or an announcement of books written, and articles published) and research on the history of Blacks at UVA. We want to ensure that Ubunye is the response for alumni who frustratingly state, \u201cI didn\u2019t know about it.\u201d As one Ubunye leader happily declared, \u201cUbunye will serve to be our one-stop-shop for all things Black.\u201d<\/p>\n

We are excited about the formation and support of Ubunye. And we hope you are too!<\/p>\n

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Gubha and Wahoowa!<\/p>\n