Pamoja Connections Inc. celebrates 55 years of promoting unity and advocacy at UGA by Julia Beauchamp/includes screening of “Triumph Thru Tears”

Written, directed and produced by UGA Alumna, Jackie Wright

Nawanna Lewis Miller, Pamoja founder, watches as the documentary “Triumph Thru Tears: The Power of Pamoja” premieres in the Victor K. Wilson Ballroom in Memorial Hall at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (Photo/Evan Frilingos; @frilingos.photos)

Pastor Nawanna Lewis Miller’s impact on the University of Georgia was celebrated in a night of music, dance and reflection on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Miller founded Pamoja Connections Inc., an organization geared toward supporting minority students at UGA through arts, journalism and academia, when she was a student at UGA in 1970.

The celebration, held at Ebenezer Baptist Church, featured songs from the African American Choral Ensemble (AACE) and the Black Theatrical Ensemble (BTE) and a dance performance from Pamoja Dance Company. The concert was one of four free events hosted by Pamoja Connections Inc. on the weekend of Oct. 24 to 26 to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the organization’s founding and to honor Miller’s leadership.

The University of Georgia African American Choral Ensemble sings at Ebenezer Baptist Church West in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. Pamoja celebrated its 55th anniversary with a night of praise, performance and fundraising. (Photo/Evan Frilingos; @frilingos.photos)

The weekend of events included an author talk with Miller and Ann-Marie Popwell on Friday, a breakfast for students and alumni Saturday morning, a recognition and fundraising reception Saturday evening and a screening of “Triumph Thru Tears: The Power of Pamoja at UGA," directed, written and produced by Jackie Wright, on Sunday.

55 years ago, Miller set out to create a space to bring her and her fellow Black classmates together on a UGA campus that was predominantly white. At 19 years old, she founded a collection of five student organizations that celebrate culture through music, dance, drama, film and journalism, under the name “Pamoja”, the Swahili word for “togetherness”. Today, these organizations include AACE, BTE, Pamoja Dance Company, InFUSion Magazine and the Journalism Association for Minorities.

“I cried everyday … because I could not believe the essence of racism that haunted the campus,” Miller said. “I had a decision — either you reject it and leave, or you rebuke it and remain.”

Pamoja celebrates its 55th anniversary with a night of praise, performance and fundraising at Ebenezer Baptist Church West in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo/Evan Frilingos; @frilingos.photos)

Miller not only created organizations that uplift students of color and provide platforms for cultural expression and support, but she remains an inspiration for current members of Pamoja student organizations.

“The fact that the founder is still with us today really says something,” Chinelo Ireh, the president of BTE, said. “We should always do our best to upkeep and maintain the legacy that she started.”

Destiny Butts, the drama trope co-coordinator of BTE, also reflected on Miller’s impact on UGA.

“I can’t imagine what it was like for [Miller] as a 19-year-old young girl in the 60s, where discrimination is incredibly prominent and legal to build something that is still thriving,” Butts said. “Being here today really just solidifies the legacies that are created out of strife and isolation.”

Subrena Clark, executive board president of Pamoja Connections Inc. and a former member of AACE, said being a part of a Pamoja group on campus inspired her to dig deeper and form friendships that still exist for her today. Clark said Pamoja Connections Inc. exists to keep Miller’s legacy in place and provide a safe space for students.

Subrena Clark, president of Pamoja Connections, Inc., encourages attendees to donate during the Pamoja event at Ebenezer Baptist Church West in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. Pamoja celebrated its 55th anniversary with a night of praise, performance and fundraising. (Photo/Evan Frilingos; @frilingos.photos)

“A lot of students have said being a part of these groups is a safe place for them, just to ease their minds,” Clark said. “It did the same thing for me … just to be in a place where you can say ‘I can just be free and I can express myself. I can express my hurt, I can express my challenges, I can express my happiness.’”

The weekend’s focus on mental health support made the students feel emotional, but also motivated and inspired.

“Collectively … we all need to heal,” Ireh said. “We’re still connected by that trauma, but at the same time we’re connected also by healing.”

Miller herself remains willing to hear the stories of current members of the organizations she created, calling herself the “auntie that everyone recognizes.”

“[The students] bring me great joy,” Miller said. “People are expressing thanks because they were a part of these organizations … I love to hear the stories and I love to hear the struggles.”

Pamoja founder Nawanna Lewis Miller prays at the event at Ebenezer Baptist Church West in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. Miller said that she started the organization in 1970 at the University of Georgia after receiving a vision from God. (Photo/Evan Frilingos; @frilingos.photos)

The organizations continue to carry on Miller’s legacy, as highlighted through the weekend of events.

“It doesn’t matter where you’re from, how you look, your race,” Clark said. “We’re just experiencing the beauty of art, music and love.”

Clarification: This article has been updated to attribute the director, producer and writer of "Triumph Thru Tears: The Power of Pamoja at UGA."