WHO WE ARE

WHO WE ARE

Black. /blak/ adjective. describes the righteously indignant disinherited people of the earth; the complete absorption of light; a color

Dignified./ˈdiɡnəˌfīd/ adjective. embodying the mutual acknowledgment of self-worth between an individual and society. Each person should recognize their inherent worth, as it is reflected in the worth of those around them.

Undisciplined. /ˌənˈdisəplənd/ adjective. without allegiance to any singular academic discipline; able to utilize many ways of learning; embracing conflict and loving contradictions as a means of generating new and innovative liberatory thought and practice

Learning. /ˈlərniNG/ verb. acquiring knowledge through experience, study, deep thought, and teaching.

Community. /kəˈmyo͞onədē/ noun. a collective of people with shared values and responsibilities

UBUNTU Research and Evaluation is a strategic learning organization powered by unapologetic Black women, femmes, and non-binary folks working as transdisciplinary strategists committed to resisting anti-Blackness and building the intellectual and political defenses of all Black people, in solidarity with the global majority, through education, facilitation, and evaluation.

We are Black, Brilliant, and Alive!

UBUNTU VALUES

Our existence as an organization means that we antagonize an anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, anti-Queer, anti-Femme, anti-Crip, and anti-Fat world. As an organization, we embody these values to guide and sustain our work:

We acknowledge that no matter the well-intentioned circumstances, we, as unapologetically Black and UNdisciplined strategists, will encounter harm while (executing the work outlined in this agreement).
We work within the contradiction of recognizing that capitalism is the system that shapes how we survive in this world. It is the same system that we are working in solidarity with other organizations to abolish. Our work is conscious of capitalist exploitation and how it undermines our communities
We engage capitalism as a temporary harm reduction practice to alleviate ongoing state-sanctioned economic, political, and physical violence against Black people.
We practice abolition as a messy, necessary breakup with the carceral state. We seek accountability over justice and transformation over restoration.
We seek to liberate others and ourselves from systemic oppression. Our long-term goal could never be accomplished under a business structure or contract agreement, yet we continue to advocate for and work toward a world we need and deserve.
We know that moving towards liberation is a constant unlearning process. We do not claim to know and understand every liberation effort, but we aim to work in solidarity toward liberation for all systemically marginalized communities.
We believe that research and data are political tools.
We advocate for Black rest.

WE HOLD NO EXPECTATION…

that our clients hold the values to the extent that we attempt to embody them. We state and acknowledge these truths to antagonize the contract agreement as a process that must be disrupted. UBUNTU, as a company, continues to antagonize an anti-Black, anti-Queer, anti-Femme, and anti-Fat world. We have an explicit focus on race and its intersections with other marginalized identities, including but not limited to gender, sexuality, class, and ability. We utilize dignity as a framework for understanding the relationships between inequities and solutions. Respecting, protecting, and fulfilling a sense of dignity for Black women, femmes, and nonbinary people as owners of their own emotional and intellectual labor is a valued priority of our organization.

THIS TAKES WORK.

THIS WORK IS YOURS.

Our work is not the end. We do not do the work of transforming your organization. You do. As individuals and as a collective. Our responsibility may include providing insight, tools, resources and recommendation but ultimately the responsibility to radically transform your organization rests on you. Without personal work within the collective, the organization can not increase its capacity to create equity for itself or the people it serves.

HARM WILL HAPPEN.

Our work as Black women, we will be harmed through this process. We do specific work for ourselves to manage, deal, heal, and restore from harm as it is inevitable in this job. We are not responsible for addressing every micro-aggression that we personally experience. You need to prepare to deal with unconsciously committing harm by making a commitment to unlearning.

SAY WHITE. SAY BLACK. SAY YOU DO NOT KNOW.

Our work is racial equity, justice and liberation. Any discomfort from individuals or the organization to name race specifically and intentionally limits the depth of the work. If you do not know what to say or how to say it, acknowledge the opportunity to learn and move forward with radical vulnerability that serves you, your peers, and your organization.

THE MESSIER, THE BETTER.

Our work together cannot, will not and should not end neatly -- we are working against systems of oppression that are pervasive in the cultures of our organizations and that work is persistent and ongoing. Everyone is on different journeys and will learn how to do things at different paces, we cannot expect everyone to be on the same page within a short time frame.

FOR US, BY US, DON’T ERASE US.

Our work is to make the world better, especially for Black children. Our thoughts, ideas, and materials are ours. We work with like minded organizations and retain specific ownership over our individual and collective work. You do not have the liberty to use our work materials, processes, ideas or activities.

CAPITALISM UNDER DURESS.

Our work is conscious of capitalist exploitation and how it undermines our communities. As Black women, we are aware that our independent business efforts within a capitalist system merely reduces the harm we regularly face due to economic, political, and physical violence. We do not see our current work organizations as the final solutions for creating change for our communities.