… Americans and other students while increasing their persistence and retention rates through combining academic learning with counseling, social support, and opportunities for cultural exploration. The Umoja Scholars Program at East Los Angeles … American and Black students in transferring to four-year colleges and universities and earning their degrees. We hope that students will see an increase in their potential for academic success through forming lifelong friendships, attending … artists and spiritual leaders. Umoja sees individuals like Phyllis Wheatley, David Walker, Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells Barnett, Robert Johnson, W.E.B. Dubois, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Alan Locke, Thelonious Monk, Malcolm X, Romaire …