Our Mission
Through an innovative series of workshops, performances, educational and professional development opportunities the Umoja Flute Institute endeavors to:
Provide flutists of African descent with the tools needed to succeed and thrive at all levels of music making
Foster an international community of flutists
Celebrate flutists of African descent and their contributions to music
Expose flutists to the diverse experiences and opportunities of the flute world
A Note From the Chair
I am excited about the direction of the UMOJA Flute Institute. The organization, originally inspired by Valerie Coleman’s vision, emerged out of a desire to create a safe space for celebrating, unifying and empowering a community of flutists of African descent. The Umoja Flute Institute also addresses a significant cultural gap in educational, professional development and performance opportunities that have historically prevented Black flutists from being seen and achieving success. I feel honored to collaborate with a board of incredibly talented and accomplished individuals to address this challenge and am excited about the future ahead. The word Umoja, meaning ‘Unity’, captures the community we’ve created at UFI and we look forward to you joining us on a journey to build more supportive networks and opportunities for flutists of African descent.