Excitement filled the room of DeRicco 275 on Oct. 1 as the Black Excellence and Enrichment (BEE) Academy officially signed a new partnership with Umoja, a statewide learning community program dedicated to the academic success and personal growth of African American and other students. The ceremony marked a fresh chapter for both programs, strengthening resources and opportunities for Black students at San Joaquin Delta College.
The partnership aims to expand cultural enrichment, mentorship, and academic support under one unified effort.
“You all are part of a community that is a power base,” said Dr. Eric Mayes, Chief Executive Officer of Umoja, during his speech at the Oct. 1 signing ceremony. “So y’all are not alone — this is to students, this is to the faculty, and to the staff. We have faculty institutes where we work with and support faculty around inclusive pedagogies, implementing the models. We have retreats and convenings for program staff and faculty around counseling and running an evidence-based program.”
Angela Williams, Student Services Support Coordinator, who’s helping lead the rollout of the transition, said the partnership will bring new opportunities and experiences for Umoja-Bee students.
“This partnership brings additional services, more field trips, and activities such as Porch Talks,” Williams said.
Porch Talks are one of the new initiatives being introduced through the partnership.
“Porch Talks are an old-time tradition started by our ancestors,” Williams said. “They’d gather and sit on someone’s porch with lemonade, or moonshine, and they’d go back and forth talking and having friendly debates.”
Students can expect to see physical and cultural transformations within the Umoja-BEE center as well.
“You’ll see a lot of changes within the Umoja-BEE center starting with the look of the center.” Williams said.
Among those changes will be the addition of Afrocentric art, the display of Umoja’s principles, and a renewed sense of cultural pride within the space.
Williams also emphasized that the partnership will create more experiential learning opportunities. “We have a field trip to UmojaCon coming up in November which is a really great opportunity for students who may have never been to a conference, training, or outside of Stockton,” she said.
The overnight trip from Nov. 6-8 will include leadership training, fellowship, and a visit to San Jose State University.
Jayme Jones, a general counselor at Delta, said she’s focused on strengthening visibility for the newly aligned program.
“I’m working on getting the website updated so we can get the word, our name, and program out there,” Jones said.
If you’d like to visit the center or enroll in the program, you can find the center on the second floor of Danner Hall in room 204.
