Ubuntu Village helps prevent community violence and supports families in navigating the juvenile justice system in New Orleans. The name Ubuntu comes from a South African Zulu-language proverb, “I am because you are,” which informs the organization’s philosophy of recognizing each other’s humanity and interconnectedness amid societal injustice. In New Orleans, where the majority of the city is Black, large swaths of the population are heavily criminalized and deprived of essential resources such as housing, community spaces, clean air and water, and healthcare, which perpetuate inequality and intra-community violence. Ubuntu Village educates parents about judicial law and avenues to advocate for loved ones through the Parent Leaders Educate for Action (PLEA) program, and assists them in and out of the courthouse through the Parent Navigator program. With Ubuntu Village’s help, no family has to go through the process alone.
Ubuntu Village works closely with the University Medical Center New Orleans. Photo: Ernest Johnson
The 501(c)3 nonprofit employs 18 full-time and four part-time staff members, most of whom are licensed social workers. Ubuntu Village also works to prevent entanglement with the criminal justice system through the NOLA Peace Ambassadors program, which employs community members to intervene in potentially dangerous situations through de-escalation, conflict mediation and restorative justice practices, and the INSTEAD program, which diverts adults and children with minor offenses from the legal systems to community-centered solutions such as individual and group mental health care, and support for getting jobs, government benefits and housing. As Ubuntu Village sees it, violence should be treated as a public health issue and solved holistically rather than punitively, with an eye toward ending cycles of violence. Ubuntu Village is also a contributor to the Debt-Free Justice campaign, which aims to eliminate fees and fines from the juvenile justice system nationwide.
Ubuntu Village staff at a Christmas party. Photo: Ernest Johnson