As a speaker in this online seminar, I will explore how our collective consciousness regarding systemic racial violence, rooted in the legacy of white supremacy, might evolve in the future. White supremacy, as both an epistemology and ontology, has brought us to the Anthropocene and the current polycrisis we face. As we stand at the crossroads of profound global challenges—from environmental degradation to social and economic inequality—the call for a deeper, more conscious, and life-affirming way of living has never been more urgent. The African concept of Ubuntu is the entry point we can use to find peace in the midst of chaos.
Ubuntu: Umuntu umuntu ngabantu. A person is a person through other people.
In my culture, we speak of Ubuntu—a philosophy that recognizes our interconnectedness as human beings with all of life. Ubuntu is the understanding that our individual well-being is intrinsically tied to the well-being of others in the collective. It is the recognition that our humanity is connected to our ability to see the humanity, the sacredness of life, in others. Without this recognition of the oneness of life, human consciousness will never evolve beyond Hegel's master-slave dialectic, where some are deemed more human than others and thus denied the right to evolve beyond their station.
We all come from the same source, and the human condition is such that contradictions create the illusion of separation and difference in essence, when in reality, there is only diversity in manifested lived experience. Our essence as living beings is the same; how we experience that living is what is diverse. The concept of Ubuntu means understanding and recognizing this difference. That awareness allows one to move through the world with love and humility. However, this awareness requires difficult inner work to unlearn the dominant narratives of race that have conditioned us to believe that the stories we tell ourselves about the melanin in our skin (or lack thereof) are natural and true.
As Nelson Mandela once said, "For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."
Ubuntu as a principle teaches us that we are interdependent and need each other to thrive. As a practice, Ubuntu means applying this principle—understanding that your individual freedom is tied to the freedom of others. The fight against systemic racial violence, oppression, and genocide is not just the responsibility of those victimized by this obscene system; it is the responsibility of all who live within it. We are all made culpable by the constraints of capitalism, constraints that bind every single one of us. Ubuntu as practice means understanding that to evolve the collective consciousness, we all have to do deep individual inner work. We cannot free others if we ourselves are not free—free from the epistemological and ontological bondage of white supremacy. This is the urgent, deeply spiritual work this moment in human history calls us to do.
For Babylon falls.
For those with eyes, let them see.
For those with ears, let them hear.
For those with heart, let them feel.
For those with hands, let them do the work.
African spirituality is deeply esoteric, emphasizing the importance of inner work as the foundation for societal transformation. In this sense, our consciousness evolves not just through external activism but first through the cultivation of compassion, empathy, and self-awareness. As above, so below. As within, so without. Practices such as meditation, ritual, dance, song, and mindful living can serve as powerful tools for personal transformation, enabling us to approach the works of our hands—whatever that may be—from a place of deep integrity and authenticity.
As we raise our consciousness and better understand that Ubuntu is the practice of recognition, we can begin to see beyond the surface of race, class, and gender to the shared humanity that connects us all. This is the essence of conscious activism—work that is grounded in spiritual conviction and aimed at creating sustainable, holistic change. By aligning our inner and outer worlds, we can contribute to a more equitable and harmonious society. But to do so, we first must find the harmony in ourselves.
The future of consciousness in the Anthropocene is one that moves us towards inclusivity and equity. As more people awaken to the fundamental idea of Ubuntu—the interconnectedness of all life—there will be increasing demand for policies and systems that address and rectify the incomprehensible violence we have created on this planet as a species. This could manifest as socio-economic models that prioritize people and the planet over private profit. Perhaps we could open our hearts enough to recognize the inseparable links between us and nature, understanding that we are part of her, not apart from her.
As you leave this page, I encourage you to actively reflect on the narratives you hold about race, gender, and class. Consider the stories you tell yourself and others, and reflect deeply on the narratives you consume—consciously or unconsciously. Storytelling is a powerful tool for shifting consciousness and changing beliefs. Narratives shape our perceptions of and in the world, determining what we believe to be true. To evolve consciousness and practice Ubuntu, we must choose life-affirming, Ubuntu-based narratives that can return our spirits from the ruptures of Western civilization to the energetic womb of Mother Nature. These are the narratives that allow us to welcome the divine African feminine into our lives, for the goddess grants us the power to create, to imagine, to dream, to manifest worlds in peace and with love. This is the work we need to do as Babylon falls.
For Babylon falls,
Like shadows at dawn,
The towers of pride,
Now crumbling, gone.
The walls once mighty,
Now dust in the wind,
The echoes of power,
No longer ascend.
For Babylon falls,
Its arrogance spent,
The idols of gold,
By truth, are rent.
The voices of prophets,
Long silenced, now sing,
The songs of the earth,
To justice they cling.
For Babylon falls,
And in its place,
The seeds of tomorrow
Sprout in grace.
From ashes and ruin,
New worlds shall rise,
Where love is the law,
And peace never dies.
For Babylon falls,
As all empires do,
The reign of the few,
Yields to the true.
The dawn of a future,
Bright and unchained,
Where conscious lessons,
Are not in vain.
For Babylon falls.
For those with eyes, let them see.
For those with ears, let them hear.
For those with heart, let them feel.
For those with hands, let them do the work.
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