About

Ubuntu: “I am what I am because of who we all are.”

Searching for Ubuntu is an exchange of letters between friends who know there is more good than bad in humanity, that we are in fact all here for a reason, that we live better as community than individualistically, and that the spirit of Ubuntu can be found in the most unlikely places.

The friends, in no particular order…

Ryan grew up in Cookeville, TN, lived in Cape Town, South Africa for ten years working predominantly with homeless youth, and is now a high school teacher in Brooklyn, NY.

Jesse grew up in Danbury, CT, has travelled all over the world, studied all sorts of things, and is a teacher, activist, and journalist.

Warsan is a Kenyan-born Somali poet and writer who is based in London, and is an artist and activist who uses her work to document narratives of journey and trauma.

James is a husband, father, poet, amateur theologian, and all-around over-thinker from a small Middle-Tennessee town who has a passion for loving people, raising his son, and over-thinking…a lot.

Cirvant grew up in Nashville, TN, has travelled extensively, particularly falling in love with Uganda and South Africa, and is a poet, activist and seeker of justice.

Chris lives in Nashville, TN and is a beard-wielding, ferocious lover of people, deep feeler, critical thinker, activist, husband, father, and a missionary of sanity.

John is from Cookeville, TN, graduated from Carson-Newman College with a degree in history, political science and religion, has a law degree from Stanford Law School, is a loving husband and proud father, and currently works for the Equal Justice Initiative.

Michael was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and now lives in Cape Town, South Africa, studied Politics & Law at the University of Cape Town, and now works for the Democratic Alliance in Parliament. He also had a short stint in journalism, loves Jesus, blogs occasionally, and hopes to help change the world