Harambee – The Black/African & Muslim Feminist Collective is a collective mentorship project that applies the Swahili concept of Harambee, or “pulling together,” to establish a space and praxis that is grounded in self-help, the collective, community support and well-being amid structures and power dynamics that prove challenging for Black/African, Muslim and feminist women and LGBTQIA2+ individuals to thrive at post-secondary institutional settings, including the University of Toronto Scarborough. The project involves four Black/African and Muslim women scholars – Dr. Afua Cooper, Dr. Husseina Dinani, Dr. Caroline Shenaz Hossein and Dr. Notisha Massaquoi – who will bring together Black/African and Muslim students and faculty to listen and to learn from one another through collective mentoring. Moving away from a conventional hierarchical system of mentorship and emulating bell hook’s philosophy of love as being grounded in “care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect and trust.”

Harambee will practice mentorship through inter-generational learning and care. Some of the initiatives will include, professional development, self-care, Harambee Tea Parties, Harambee Purpose Dinners and Harambee Student Awards.