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Date: 1/20/2022
ENFIELD, CT – On Feb. 12, the Ujima African American Alliance will have their first Black History event at the Enfield Central Public Library on 104 Middle Rd. from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. featuring local authors Frederick-Douglass Knowles, Trinene Davis and LaResse Harvey. This event will highlight the accomplishments of African Americans, and 10 percent of the proceeds will go to the library.
“We want to showcase the African American authors in the state of Connecticut and show what they are doing in our community to make a difference,” said Secretary Melissa Woodyard. “We want to show positivity and within this our goal is to raise money so that we can have books put in the Enfield Central Library for African Americans. When they come into the library, there’ll be new authors and poets to read.”
The Ujima African American Alliance is a grassroots organization that works to engage, educate and inspire African Americans as well as the community at large. The word “ujima” means collective work and responsibility, building the community together and solving problems as a group.
The Ujima African American Alliance looks to see what the problems are within the community, and also within the focus of African Americans in the community. Aspects to a community that are missing or may need more of; the Ujima African American Alliance is looking to solve those problems, bring awareness and let people know that their group is an outlet in which they can help assist with problems.
Woodyard explained, “What’s solving the problem with Ujima right now is we’re looking to get books out, more education for people in schools so that they will know the dynamics in what people of color have done for the United State of America.”
Treasurer Rosalind Swift told Reminder Publishing that originally the group wasn’t called Ujima. It was a group of African Americans who got together and participated in a People Empowering People (PEP) program run by the University of Connecticut. The whole idea of PEP was for people of color to come together, brainstorm and come up with ideas they felt would benefit the community.
Swift explained, “That was in 2017 and it was a 10-week course. Upon completing that course and it was probably about seven or eight of us. We really didn’t do anything officially, but we talked about how we would bring the group together.”
The group was formalized in October of 2019. Since then, they have continually met, brainstormed and spent 2020 getting their paperwork in line. From 2021 to present day the group has been working to make themselves known in the community. Woodyard said it has been a little trying for them to get out in the public during the pandemic, but they still worked together and persevered to be able to get to the point where they are today.
Chairman Chad Woodyard added, “Our goal is to educate by showing people who look like us what can be done and what has been done. At the same time, we want the community at large to know that we as a people can do things that traditionally we have not done.”
He continued, “We want the town of Enfield to see us as lawyers, doctors, authors, teachers – as integral parts of this community. At the end of the day, we want to be called Americans and be able to enjoy all the benefits and privileges as Americans.”
To learn more information about Ujima African American Alliance go to their Facebook page or contact them at uaaaEnfield@gmail.com.