Using my Oar, My Voice, to Design Equitable Futures: Ubuntu and Social Justice with monique liston
dr. monique liston, founder of Ubuntu Research and Evaluation, tells the story of how her dissertation research on human dignity for Black people led her to root her organization in the concept of ubuntu: “I am because we are” as a rejection of individualistic, capitalist thinking and a response to anti-Blackness and data violence.
She shares how navigating academic and professional spaces as a Black woman moved her to create an environment where smart Black girls are affirmed and where teams can interrupt harmful narratives, misinterpretations, and visual depictions about Black communities.
dr. liston connects Ubuntu to abolitionist leadership, describes Ubuntu Research and Evaluation’s “undisciplined” and “ungovernable” approach, and encourages listeners to read books, write books, and embody Ubuntu right where they are.