View of Umoja House from Vernon Street. Photo credit: Trinity College

The Umoja house is a cultural house on campus that serves as a gathering place for Black students. It was formed in the 1970s after the Trinity Coalition of Blacks (later Pan African Alliance, and now Imani) and the Trinity Coalition of Black Women Organization set out to appreciate Black culture and make the campus more welcoming for minority students. Umoja means “unity” in Swahili and is one of the principles of Kwanzaa.

The building was originally located at 110-112 Vernon Street and was called the Black Cultural Center until 1980-1981, when it was renamed Umoja House. In 1997, it moved to 70 Vernon Street, a decision that was not disclosed to the larger student body beforehand. This led to confusion and anger over its more slightly more remote location from the center of campus. Inside, there is space for students to relax, hang out with friends, and watch TV, and there is a library on the third floor with archives, books, and magazines for students to use.

Umoja houses many organizations for Black students on campus including Imani, Trinity College's Black Women Association, and the Men of Color Alliance. Together at the house, these groups work to raise awareness and show appreciation of Black history and culture by hosting educational events, movie screenings, and block parties at the House. Events hosted by Umoja have included commemorations for Martin Luther King Jr., Black alumni gatherings, and activities for Black History Month.

Umoja House

The Trinity Tripod, 03/31/2003

Trinity College in the Twentieth Century (2000) by Peter and Anne Knapp, p. 473.

The Trinity Tripod, 01/20/1998.

The Trinity Tripod, 09/23/1997.

The Trinity Tripod, 10/02/1990.

The Trinity College Handbook, 1980-1981, p. 140.

The Trinity College Handbook, 1981-1982, p. 125.