Students, faculty, staff, and alumni gathered in the University Commons Great Room on Feb. 20 for “UJIMA: Highlighting Arcadia’s Black History,” a gallery experience celebrating the legacy and impact of Black members of the Arcadia community.

Co-sponsored by the Black Awareness Society (BAS), the Center for Antiracist Scholarship, Advocacy, and Action (CASAA), and Arcadia’s Pan-African Studies Program, the event centered on the principle of Ujima, a concept rooted in the African diaspora that emphasizes collective responsibility and mutual accountability in building and sustaining community.

“This ethos is captured in the saying, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ a foundational concept across the diaspora that affirms our understanding that individual growth is nurtured through communal care,” said Executive Director of CASAA and Director of Pan-African Studies Dr. Christopher Varlack. “By anchoring this event in Ujima, we honor that legacy, ensuring that today’s students know they are part of a broader, supportive village that will help them thrive both now and in the future.”

The gallery honored generations of Black Arcadians and student organizations such as the Beaver College Blacks, Melanin in Action, and the Black Awareness Society, through archival materials, visual installations, and narrative displays. 

“I truly believe that at Arcadia, it’s our collective responsibility to honor our legacies and honor our history, and I think this was the perfect way to honor a history that goes unwritten or untold,” said BAS Secretary Jamerika Grandberry ’27. “That way, on an institutional level, we can collectively honor the people who have made an impact on our institution.”

For Grandberry, who brought the idea for the gallery to life alongside CASAA Student Program Associate Robert Teemer ‘27, this event served as a way to give back to the community that has helped shape her.

“I keep referring to it as Black Arcadia,” Grandberry said. “I think that Black Arcadia has had such a foundational impact on how we globally think. The students who leave Arcadia continue to make an impact because of how Arcadia has impacted us, so honoring that and recognizing how important that impact is will continue to allow students to have that impact.”

The gallery sends attendees on a path starting in the past and moving forward through time to the present. From the beginning of the experience, Rayana Abrams ’27 was hooked.

“It said there were 800 students and only 37 Black students at the time. They could literally count one senior or so-and-so sophomores, and all that. I thought that was pretty interesting,” said Abrams. “I think it’s important that you can see how the first Black students came to Beaver College originally, and how they paved the way and impacted Arcadia.”

Aaron Lemons ’28, whose track and field photo was included in the exhibition, was surprised to learn about the history of BAS in his walkthrough.

“I didn’t know [BAS] started back in 1968, that’s insane, and how it’s still relevant and strong today is really cool,” he said. “I think it’s important to highlight where we’ve been as a university and also how far we’ve come, and to see how far back people were doing amazing things and continued doing them is just great to see.”

This gallery experience underscores the importance of recognizing and honoring institutional history.

“Formally documenting Black history at Arcadia is crucial because it ensures that the achievements, struggles, and leadership are not lost or marginalized,” Varlack said. “By giving these narratives a central, curated space, we affirm their vital role in shaping Arcadia’s intellectual and cultural life, a longstanding effort that began the moment the Beaver College Blacks first set foot on campus. ‘UJIMA: Highlighting Arcadia’s Black History’ is not the first and will not be the last of these critical efforts.”