Harambee!
About Harambee!
Harambee is a Swahili word that was popularized by President Jomo ‘Mzee’ Kenyatta, Kenya’s first president post colonialism. The meaning of Harambee emphasized by President Kenyatta was: “Let’s all pull together now!” Its intention of use was to galvanize Kenya citizens with a sense of urgency, to put aside tribal and party differences, to collectively and unhesitatingly get to the work at hand, of nation building, and economic stability, or perish. Harambee! has become a cultural benediction throughout the world ending Kwanzaa celebrations, as well as other gatherings of Black organizations, e.g. National Association of Black Social Workers, in their closing ceremonies. This notion of pulling together is the inspiration that became a mandate that many Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) Millie M. Charles School of Social Work (renamed in 2018) alumni experienced on the death of their beloved founder in 2020. In 2024 that inspiration was actualized with the establishment of Harambee! When asked about all her accomplishments, Millie Charles, the native of New Orleans’ Central City consistently has said: “Anything I might have accomplished was the result of a group effort.” Harambee! is an independent organization of alumni and friends of the Southern University of New Orleans Millie Charles School of Social Work (MMC-SSW). Harambee! has a primary purpose of providing support and assistance to the MMC-SSW mission. In fundraising, recruitment, mentoring, promotion, education, and consciousness raising regarding the socio-economic viability, health, including mental health, and well-being of the general community.
About
Dean Millie M. Charles
Millie McClelland Charles has greatly impacted the field of social work through her leadership. As a graduate of Dillard University (BA, 1943), and the University of Southern California’s School of Social Work (MSW, 1957), and having received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, Dillard University (1993), Dean Charles has dedicated her career to advocating for those who could not do so for themselves. Her commitment to social work education is evident by her advocacy to establish a nationwide bachelor of social work degree (BSW) in the early 1970s and her contributions as a Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) accreditation reviewer. She also was a founding member of the New Orleans Chapter of the National Association of Black Social Workers.
The founding of Southern University in New Orleans (SUNO) in 1956 was a highly political event that took place at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, reportedly to discourage Black students from attending the predominately, white University of New Orleans, which is located only blocks away from the SUNO campus.
Millie Charles’ ability to take a handful of social work courses, added to SUNO’s existing Sociology Department curricula, and subsequently expanding and developing them into fully accredited BSW and MSW programs, offered as of 1982 through the fully accredited, School of Social Work, ultimately renamed the Millie M. Charles School of Social Work (2018). Said accomplishments are considered somewhat of a miracle in New Orleans. The high caliber programs have attracted a cadre of credentialed and culturally diverse faculty, as well as a diverse and integrated student population.
Dean Charles dedicated her career to empowering and transforming students at the micro, mezzo and macro levels of social work practice. In fact, the curriculum is unique through its embodiment of the 3 themes of the School: Advocacy, Empowerment, and Transformation. Her interests in social work education go far beyond just working in the State of Louisiana. She served as the co-chair of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) annual meeting; a member of the CSWE Committee on Undergraduate Curriculum Standards; and a site visitor for the CSWE Accreditation Commission. Since 1972 she consulted with numerous undergraduate and graduate social work programs around the U.S., advising them on curricula. She also lectured and advised, administrators, faculty, and students of Schools of Social Work, agencies and universities, as well as ministries of social welfare in Tanzania, Ghana, and Kenya.
She received numerous awards, such as the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Social Worker of the Year in 1975, later awarded her the Pioneer Award (1995); Humanitarian of the Year, Federal Women Employees Association, 1975; The National Council of Jewish Women’s Hannah G. Solomon Award (1976); Founders Award, New Orleans Chapter of National Association of Black Social Workers, 1979; Outstanding Citizens of the Year Award by The New Orleans Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (1979), and Public Service award (2008); Role Models award from the Young Leadership Council (1993); Women who Have Made a Difference Award, YWCA National Women’s Week (1995), and YMCA for “lifetime of service to the community”; Recognition of the Establishment of the Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair named in her honor Southern University at New Orleans (2007); The Bertha Capen Reynolds Award by the Social Welfare Action Alliance (SWAA) “for outstanding contributions to the promotion of the study and practice of the progressive traditions in social work” (2007); Distinguished New Orleanian and Social Work Pioneer Award by Urban League of Greater New Orleans (2009); National Association of Black Social Workers' Lifetime Achievement Award (2010); Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Conference of Artists, New Orleans Chapter (2012); Morris F.X. Jeff Community Service Award from the African American Leadership Project (2013); The Dillard University Dave Dennis Lifetime Achievement Award at the 150th Founding Gala (2019); she holds the distinction of Alumna member of the New Orleans (LA) Chapter of The Links, Inc.
Dean Charles was hailed as a lifelong crusader for equality when she was presented with The Times-Picayune Loving Cup on June 24, 2013. When asked about all her accomplishments, the native of New Orleans’ Central City consistently has said: “Anything I might have accomplished was the result of a group effort.”