Why You Should Support Harambee
Each year the University sets aside a million dollars for the Undergraduate Finance Board to allocate to category III student groups who petition for additional funding. All student groups on campus with a category III classification have the ability to request some of this funding from the University. Furthermore, all registered student groups on campus are recognized as a category I, II, or III organization; and as such have the ability to receive fundraising assistance from the University. Since Harambee is a program house, it cannot be classified as a category I, II, or III organization nor receive student group funding from the university.
As Brown continues to evolve, we must strive to keep Harambee at the forefront of the University’s agenda. The University continues to renovate other dormitories, remodeling structures, and replacing old and broken furniture. Despite many essential strides made by previous leadership to renovate the space, there is still a lot of room for improvement for a facility serving our entire black populus.
Because of its worn facilities, Harambee has continually had trouble recruiting students to live there. Our students want and deserve better. Ergo, those who would love to live in Harambee’s community often shy away, electing instead to live in newly renovated facilities.
Strategic investments to enhance Harambee House will help tackle the perennial issues of under-enrollment, under-funding, and worn facilities which threaten the longevity of Harambee House. Going forward, it is important to maintain a consistent enrollment trajectory (at least 30 black residents) in order to keep Harambee House a space for our students.
Along with being a haven for scholarship, Harambee serves as the heart of the Black community experience at Brown. Student groups such as the Black Student Union, The League of United Black Women, Black fraternities, and other Black organizations, all rely on Harambee. Student groups use Harambee’s facilities for meetings, to host events, and as a home base for community outreach efforts that unite and galvanize Black undergraduates at Brown.
In order to thrive, Harambee needs to secure funding to improve our facilities. Harambee needs facilities that reflect its value as a House, and the contributive establishment it is to the Brown community. Given the university’s shifting priorities we must prioritize collective responsibility as a means of investing in and strengthening Harambee House.