The Afrikan Student Union (ASU) was formed in 1966 to advocate for the needs and interests of all UCLA students of Afrikan descent. Initiated by Afrikan American students, the organization’s founding ideology was shaped by UCLA’s influential Black Panther movement, the national Civil Rights Movement, and the urban rebellions that engulfed the Greater Los Angeles Area in the 1960’s. During that period, ASU played an integral part in developing and establishing the High Potential Program at UCLA. This program was designed to ensure that the University considered factors like community leadership and socio-economic background while making admissions decisions. For more than 20 years, the High Potential Program increased the number of qualified minority students admitted to the University.
Continuing to serve student needs, ASU established the Center for African American Studies in 1969 with guidance from various student groups and members of the Black Panther Party. Now known as the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, the Bunche Center was created to guarantee that UCLA offered curriculum significant to students of color and that all students had the opportunity to study culturally relevant material. In the 1970s, ASU advocated for the development of the Academic Advancement Program (AAP), an undergraduate student retention program that still provides for underrepresented, low-income and first generation college students. Later in the decade ASU, along with AAP, created the Freshmen Summer Program (FSP), a six-week project that allows historically unrepresented admitted students the opportunity to live on-campus, take college courses, and prepare for the rigors of college life.
The 1980s brought the injustices of the South Afrikan Apartheid to the international stage. Immediately, ASU demanded the University divest from sponsoring organizations like Coca-Cola and Bank of America. While these corporations were financially supporting the inhumanities taking place in the African region, ASU was sponsoring rallies and demonstrations with other student organizations, demanding fair dealings in South Africa.
Later in the 1980s, ASU formed The Academic Support Program (ASP), the first student-led retention project specifically created for Afrikan students at UCLA. Finally in the mid-1990’s, ASU was one of the first organizations to respond to Proposition 209, the legislation that abolished Affirmative Action in the state of California. In turn, ASU formed one of UCLA’s first access projects, the SHAPE (Students Heightening Academic Performance through Education) Program. SHAPE continues to increase the percentage of UC eligible minorities by providing tutoring, counseling and mentorship to inner-city high school students.
Currently, the Afrikan Student Union combats the low admissions rates of Afrikan students at UCLA while continuing to advance the rights and overall quality of life for all students.
Through advocacy projects and the creation of special programs and events, we address the various concerns of these key populations. Additionally, we support the ongoing work of campus organizations that provide for the specific needs of Afrikan people. Collectively, these entities comprise ASU’s Harambee Council.
ASU creates social, intellectual, and political opportunities for students through community outreach, social networking, and political engagement while working to defeat problems that impact our communities.
