Harambee

General Information

Harambee is the monthly tabloid sized student-run newspaper of the Black Caucus of the California Student Association of Community Colleges (CalSACC), and is also the only statewide newspaper for community college students in California.

While Harambee serves primarily students of African Descent in the California Community Colleges, the newspaper is also distributed to Associated Student Governments, faculty, administrators, campus libraries and state elected officials.

Contributors range from student government leaders and members of student organizations to journalism students and ethnic studies majors. Community college faculty and members of the community at-large also contribute.

Harambee, which is Swahili for “pulling together” was established by Reginald James and Josh Clemmons in 2004 as the newsletter of the College of Alameda Black Student Union in 2004.
In 2005, after first being issued as the “California Black Pages,” James, then Black Caucus President, decided to bring Harambee to colleges across the state and made Harambee the newsletter of the Black Caucus of CalSACC.

Harambee has an adviser who makes recommendations to staff, but allows decisions to be made by the paper’s Editorial Board.

Harambee is published by the Black Caucus’ Executive Board. Advertisements and financial contributions enable Harambee to be published, produced and distributed throughout the state.

In 2008, the Black Caucus plans to launch “Harambee Online,” the newspaper’s website. Harambee Online allows staff to produce and publish content beyond the current monthly cycle, and overcome the barrier of limited space while utilizing new technology.

With over 200,000 students of African Descent in the largest system of Higher Education in the world, Harambee has a promising future.