Ubuntu Project
The Ubuntu Project, funded by the California Department of Social Services, is a state initiative that supports the Stop the Hate Program, focusing on aiding victims and families affected by hate crimes.
It operates in the high desert communities of Southern California, specifically targeting African American youth
The initiative is historic as it marks the first state allocation of funding to address hate and its consequences.
Ubuntu derives from the African proverb, “I am because we are”.
The project aims to provide support through engagement with arts, leadership, and healing-centered approaches to promote resilience and social and emotional wellness.
As a Stop the Hate Grantee, Ubuntu conducts healing circles, art projects, and community outreach, representing unity and a proactive response against hate, bias, and harm in the African American community.
Healing Circles
Provide the space to encourage personal healing journeys, share, and learn how to build relationships internally and externally
Bystander Training and Healing
Leadership and personal development opportunities for supportive professionals
Art Engagement
Engage youth in the arts as a tool for healing, expression, and connection
Youth Coalition
Engage youth in advocacy, leadership, and civic engagement
Ubuntu Circle
Ubuntu Healing Circles are facilitated gatherings where individuals come together to share their stories, feelings, and experiences in a supportive and non-judgmental environment.
The aim is to create a safe space where participants can feel heard, understood, and supported. Healing circles are typically facilitated by a trained professional, but they can also be led by community members.
We need to normalize Healing Circles. As a people we hold circle all the time. Family dinners, the beauty and barbershops just to name a few.
Youth Coalitions
Establish Youth Leadership Coalitions (YLC) in the High Desert Communities (Hesperia, Phelan, Adelanto, Victorville, AppleValley, etc.) for African American youth. Guide youth in engaging with their peers in the development and implementation of community solutions surrounding social justice issues, including the disproportionate suspension of African American youth and underperforming academic rates for students of color.
Art Engagement
With the support of African American Art Ambassadors, engage African American youth in art expression, such as painting, hot wax fabric art, spoken poetry, rap, song, theater and host an annual art showcase and exhibit around the topics of anti-hate and healing.
It’s SAFE to REPORT!!! For more information, see our RESOURCES tab below.
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