Ancestors Dream Initiative is on a mission to raise one million dollars in three years. This advantageous goal will fund student-led organizations, preserve cultural traditions and facilities, support educational travel abroad and ensure the Black UF student experience continues to thrive—without dependence on state-directed funding. Every dollar moves us closer to reclaiming the legacy we built on campus.
At a time when institutional support for multicultural programs at the University of Florida is being stripped away, your contribution to Ancestors Dream Initiative is more than a donation — it’s a declaration. We are not waiting for change. We are creating it.
Here’s why your support matters now more than ever:
Our Programs, Our Memories, Our Responsibility
In response to Florida House Bill 999 and Senate Bill 266, the University of Florida has implemented significant changes affecting programs that previously supported and celebrated Black students. These legislative measures prohibit public institutions from using state or federal funds to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
As a result, the university has eliminated all DEI positions and offices, and staff support has been withdrawn from several identity-centered student organizations, such as the Black Student Union (BSU), Pride Student Union, Hispanic-Latine Student Association, and Women’s Student Association, impacting their annual welcome assemblies and other events.
These changes have also affected student-led cultural organizations like SISTUHS, Inc. (SISTUHS) and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), which now face challenges in securing adequate funding for their activities. Signature events that once fostered community and cultural pride, such as the PAACT (Pledging to Advance Academic Capacity Together) retreat, Black History Month Fashion Show, Black Community Awards, and Umoja Graduation, are now at risk. Notably, the Umoja Graduation ceremony in 2025 was nearly canceled and only proceeded due to the intervention and support of dedicated alumni.
These programs and events have been instrumental in providing spaces where Black students found their voices, built communities, and celebrated their heritage. To ensure that current and future students continue to have access to these transformative experiences, alumni support is more crucial than ever. Your contribution can help sustain these vital programs and affirm the university's commitment to diversity and inclusion.
UF Has Scaled Back Black Student Recruitment Efforts
For decades, dedicated recruiters like Mr. Boatwright and Mr. Powell traveled across Florida, building pipelines that brought generations of Black students to the UF. These efforts included invitation-only campus visits and targeted community outreach events, often in collaboration with the UF Black Alumni Association.
However, in compliance with Florida Senate Bill 266, UF has eliminated all state-funded programs which includes the closure of the Center for Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement (CIME), which previously housed the Office of Black Student Engagement and supported various cultural student engagement offices. The dismantling of these offices has disrupted the infrastructure that once facilitated Black student recruitment and support. As a result, UF no longer supports dedicated Black student recruitment events, such as specialized campus visits and targeted outreach programs.
The absence of these initiatives has contributed to stagnant Black student enrollment rates, despite an increase in applications. Between Fall 2012 and Fall 2022, Black undergraduate applications increased by 83%, yet enrollment numbers have remained relatively unchanged, hovering around 500 to 600 students each cycle.
With the university's withdrawal from these recruitment efforts, the responsibility now falls on alumni and community supporters to continue the legacy of outreach, mentorship, and culturally relevant engagement for prospective and current Black students. Your donation can help bridge this gap, ensuring that Black students have access to the opportunities and support systems that have historically been instrumental in their academic and personal success at UF.
We Are Keepers of the Dream
This is not about charity. It’s about community care. About keeping our traditions alive when institutions won’t. About ensuring the next generation of Black Gators knows they belong—and knows that their community stands behind them.
Your donation to Ancestors Dream Initiative directly funds:
Student-led Black organizations
Leadership development
Cultural celebrations
Grants for programming and service
Legacy preservation
These initiatives are more than events—they are a form of resistance, resilience, and remembrance. By giving, you affirm that our traditions are worth sustaining, our students are worth investing in, and our legacy is worth protecting.
Make a tax-deductible donation today—because as Dream Keepers, we take care of our own. Let’s ensure Black organizations on campus—our legacy—never have to ask UF for another dime. Let them know: we have their back.