Ujamaa

Ujamaa House is located at 326 Santa Teresa Street within the Lagunita Court housing complex. The house celebrates the histories, issues, and cultures of the Black Diaspora. The name comes from the Swahili word meaning collective living in an extended family. This house prides itself on fostering a sense of belonging for all residents by creating a welcoming environment for open, honest, and sometimes challenging dialogue. Upperclass students in Ujamaa are required to enroll in a two-credit course, EDUC 150: Ujamaa Scholars: Education about topics that matter in the Black Diaspora, once a year. The course centers around student-led weekly presentations that allow all residents to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the Black Diaspora. The breadth and depth of topics ensure that Ujamaa is a true living and learning community.

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More About Ujamaa

Ujamaa prides itself on fostering a sense of belonging for all residents by creating a welcoming environment for open, honest, and sometimes challenging dialogue. Thanks to an endowment from Evan Speigel '12 and former Ujamaa Resident, the house offers expanded programming throughout the week, as well as trips and excursions that enrich campus life.

Meet the Jan Barker Alexander Resident Fellows for Ujamaa

Resident Fellows, or RFs, are Stanford faculty and senior administrative staff who live in apartments or cottages adjacent to student residences and serve as leaders for their communities. Anne Charity Hudley and Chris Hudley are super excited to be joining the Ujamaa community!

Anne Charity Hudley (she, her; Black and proud) is the Associate Dean of Educational Affairs and the Bonnie Katz Tenenbaum Professor of Education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. She is Professor of African and African-American Studies and Linguistics by courtesy. She is affiliated with the Center for Comparative Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE) and the Symbolic Systems Program. Her research and publications address the relationship between language variation and educational practices and policies for black students from preschool through graduate school. She teaches a course on African American English that welcomes both undergrad and graduate students. She has over 20 years of experience working with students, leading NSF programs for Black undergraduate students at HBCUs, and is dedicated to teaching and mentoring work. She has a particular emphasis on creating high-impact practices for underrepresented students in higher education. She wrote a book about undergraduate research that she’s excited to share with Ujamaa residents. Come find her to get a free copy!

Chris Hudley is an Associate Director of Finance & Administration in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. A leader in the biomedical revolution, Stanford Medicine has a long tradition of pioneering research, innovative teaching protocols, and effective clinical therapies. Chris supports the mission of focused patient care by eradicating cancer and other diseases through the provision of high-quality, cutting-edge, personalized radiation therapy.

Anne and Chris are the proud auntie and unc to Madeleine Charity ‘24 and Emma Charity ‘25. We look forward to sharing all that we have learned about Stanford with them with the Ujamaa community.

Anne is also the Principal Investigator (PI) of the Stanford Black Academic Development (BAD) Lab, located in the Graduate School of Education in Raikes 309. Her lab research provides insight into factors that affect the academic and professional retention and the quality of life of Black people throughout the teaching and learning lifespan. The BAD Lab’s research covers a wide range of areas, including racial diversity in the social sciences, criminal and legal justice, multilingualism in schools, Black queer language cultures, writing and youth literature, literacy and the arts, AI and digital technology, teacher support around linguistic variation, and survivorship care for Black cancer patients. The BAD Lab has an emphasis on undergraduate research and welcomes students, faculty, and community members from across the US to participate. One of the lab’s biggest projects is launching the Journal of Black Language and Culture, a new academic journal created for, by, and about Black life, language, and culture. There are always ways for students to get involved—whether that’s through the journal or other projects—so definitely reach out to her if you’re interested!

Anne is originally from Richmond, Virginia. She attended undergrad at Harvard University, earned her graduate degree at The University of Pennsylvania, and completed a dissertation fellowship at Dartmouth College. She’s taught at Dartmouth, the College of William and Mary, and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Anne loves to travel both around the Bay and farther flung. She lives her life at the intersections of nerdy and fun. She loves to throw events and parties. She swims about 4 days a week and lifts weights on the 5th. She also enjoys watching all kinds of TV and movies! She doesn’t miss a concert (some recent ones include Kendrick Lamar and SZA, Cynthia Erivo, John Legend, and Bruno Mars), so if you hear of a good one, let her know!

Before transitioning into a role in higher education, Chris had the pleasure of working in the financial investment industry at Capital Group in both portfolio fund accounting and fixed income valuation. Capital Group serves individual investors, financial intermediaries, and institutions worldwide through a broad range of products and services, including American Funds, which manages assets of more than $1.4 trillion. American Funds is one of the largest mutual fund families in the world.

Chris holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, and an MBA in Corporate Finance, as well as a master’s degree in accounting, both from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. In his free time, he enjoys exploring the nuances of barbecue, everything sports-related, and the chronological nature of the Drake versus Kendrick relationship.

About the Ujamaa Theme

Ujamaa House celebrates the histories, issues, and cultures of the Black Diaspora. Students from all backgrounds are welcome to engage in learning and creating a community that centers the histories, perspectives, and lives of people of the Black Diaspora.

Ujamaa House was created as a concept in 1970 with a concentration of Black frosh and upperclass students living on East campus, and moved to its current location in 1976. Over the years, this African-American-themed dorm has expanded its intellectual focus to encompass the entire African Diaspora. Ujamaa has created a legacy of excellence with frequent speakers and visits by alums such as college dean and physician Hilda Hutcherson, actor Sterling K. Brown, writer Brit Bennett, philanthropist and Stanford Board of Trustees Chair Jeff Raikes, and politician Michael Tubbs.

The cornerstone of Ujamaa is our Scholars Program. All upperclass students are required to enroll in one quarter of our two-credit letter-grade-bearing course, EDUC 150: Ujamaa Scholars: Education about topics that matter in the Black Diaspora. Students will share topics about the Black Diaspora that matter to themselves and other community members, and we will work together to develop models for educating others about these important topics.

Enroll in EDUC 150 Ujamaa Scholars: Education about topics that matter in the Black Diaspora for two credits and a letter grade. You may view a draft of the syllabus here
In the quarter you are enrolled, attendance in EDUC 150 is mandatory
When you are not enrolled in the course, still attend EDUC 150 presentations at least 6 times a quarter
Attend our Family Gathering “Fam Gath” Meetings
Attend at least one Ujamaa event per quarter, such as an Ujamaa sponsored talk or trip