Umoja Village at Lemoore College provides safe space for students to seek support
The Umoja Community welcomes anyone, but was created to support Black students in their success.
LEMOORE, Calif. (KFSN) -- There's a new cozy corner on campus at Lemoore College.
It's similar to a student lounge, but organizers say it's so much more.
When you walk into the Umoja Village, there's a smell of coffee in the air and a section of food and drinks that are ready to grab.
"It's very comforting, even when you're first going in. It feels like home," student Hunter McKendell said.
The business major joined the Umoja Community and used it as a place to land while on campus.
"Just being able to get out of class, go in, relax, work on some homework, it just feels great," Hunter said.
He believed in it so much that he now works there alongside Pathway Navigator Typhanie Daniel.
Umoja is Swahili and stands for "Unity."
The Umoja Community welcomes anyone, but was created to support Black students in their success.
"This is just a safe space for them to have those really authentic conversations about being a Black student and sometimes being a first-generation student," Daniel said.
The Village provides support for housing insecurity, help in the classroom and access to classes.
The community isn't just for students. Staff can also take advantage.
Adjunct Instructor Denise McKendall says that as anAfrican American instructor on campus, it's an important resource.
"When you're the only one, you can feel a bit isolated. Having Umoja on campus, just as well as it does for the students, it works for me too," McKendall said.
Daniel says she hopes students, staff and the community visit the space to learn more about it and see its impact.
"I feel like when people come and they see the space, they meet the students and they hear the stories, it kind of gives them a new definition of what college looks like and what success for people can be like as a whole," Daniel said.
You can find the Umoja Village inside the Golden Eagle Arena. It's open weekdays from 9 - 4 pm.
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