by Dezmond Remington

Tigger doesn’t have any stripes. He isn’t furry, and his jumping skills are horrible. His scales are nice and smooth, and his facial hair rivals a 19th century president’s. Tigger the bearded dragon is just one of many attractions people at the Umoja Center can offer.

The Umoja Center for Pan-African Student Excellence, located in Nelson Hall East, kicked off a month of events for Black Liberation Month on Feb. 1 with an open house. 

Student art and photos of Black activists, athletes, musicians, and historical figures line the walls from floor to ceiling. “I love my melanin,” said one sign. A box with loanable art supplies sits at the front desk, free for anyone to use.

The center hosts many events, such as discussions about Black joy and movie screenings or even a Black trivia night. The center also offers academic advising and computers students can use, but the most important thing most students take from the center is community.

Many Black students have found community at the Umoja Center — a difficult thing to do when, according to the Cal Poly Humboldt website, only 3% of students at Humboldt are Black. Delaena Montes, a student assistant at the center, said it’s a place she could feel like herself.

“It’s an open space,” Montes said. “I can reach back to my roots here, my background. I felt like it was somewhere I could be myself. It’s freedom at a very white school. Having a place to escape is a great feeling. I feel comfortable here.”

Jerry Turner, Tigger’s owner, agrees. He found the center when he was a freshman last year. He’s a mechanical engineering major with a lot of coursework, so having a place to relax and make friends is important to him. 

“It’s a family,” Turner said. “That’s the best way I can put it… all of my friends I’ve met here, at the Umoja Center. It’s just beautiful.”

Ryen Price joined the Umoja Center last year after living in the Sankofa House, the Black culture-focused dorm in Cypress. She started coming to the Umoja Center to meet other Black students. She said she’s made a lot of good friends, the type she has potlucks and in-depth discussions with.

“I love how different we are, but also how similar,” Price said. “We’re like a family here.”

Montes is surprised more students don’t show up to the center, as well as other culturally-focused programs such as the Indian Tribal & Educational Personnel Program or El Centro, located down the hall from the Umoja Center.

“People should know about these places,” Montes said. “There’s a lot of culture up here [in Nelson Hall].”

That doesn’t surprise Kamar Little, a Student Advisory Group for Equity representative at the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Little works to connect students with those centers.

“I’m making them a bigger name,” Little said. “I’m letting people know things exist. There have been instances where people have never heard of [the programs].”

Price said anyone curious or doubting should lay those worries to rest and visit the center.

“People ask themselves, ‘[am I] black enough?’” Price said. “It’s the right place. Don’t think. You’re always welcome here. Don’t be shy, just come.”