In early 2023, 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. Based on this working group’s recommendation, we are thrilled to launch Ubunye, a self-governed alumni group supported by the UVA Alumni Association, established to serve as a comprehensive resource to the UVA Black alumni community. Ubunye means “unity” 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.
Partnership with the UVA Alumni Association
Ubunye is an Alumni Interest Group (AIG), a self-governed community of UVA alumni bound by a shared UVA affinity or identity supported by the UVA Alumni Association. AIGs include alumni of UVA sports teams, Greek organizations, student organizations and clubs, and more. Ubunye exists to expand engagement and support of UVA’s Black alumni community, and will complement the longstanding work of existing programs that serve the UVA Black community such as the Office of Africa American Affairs (OAAA), Black Alumni Weekend and the Ridley Scholarship Program.