Ubuntu Biography Project

Stephen Maglott

The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and the Ubuntu Biography Project have partnered for Black History Month to celebrate the legacy and achievements of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and same gender loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people.

The Ubuntu Biography Project, created by the late Stephen Maglott, celebrates the life stories and accomplishments of LGBTQ and SGL people of color.

As the nation’s leading civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black LGBTQ/SGL people, including people living with HIV/AIDS, NBJC is honored to bring awareness to the Black community's contributions to Black History, specifically, and to American and global history, more generally.

With the theme "We Can Because They Did!," this public awareness campaign shares in-depth biographies daily on various media platforms.

Stephen began Ubuntu Biography Project after realizing so few resources paid tribute to the remarkable lives and contributions of SGL/LGBT/Queer men and women of African descent. Ubuntu has created tributes to approximately 500 men and women from around the world, and has reached more than 43,000 readers. According to the Ubuntu Project website:

The Ubuntu Biography Project was born out of a desire to tell the largely untold stories of LGBTQ men and women of African descent, and to celebrate their remarkable contributions to our world. These are created in the hope that they will serve to educate and empower the whole community, while they give same-gender loving / Trans men and women of African descent ample reason to find pride in who they are, and to find strength in the dynamic and loving community they are connected with.

Ubuntu is a Nguni Bantu term of Central and South Africa that is literally translated as “human-ness.” A more common interpretation of its meaning translates as “I am, because we are.” It is an empowering affirmation of humanity’s interconnectedness and of our collective responsibility to cherish one another. It links each of us to our desire to live and love freely, our shared interest in our creative and spiritual connections, and in humanity’s common lineage to African ancestry.

These biographies of remarkable men and women illuminate the story of our humanity through shared experiences, familiar hopes, our abundant love, our unique passions, our resilience in the face of challenges, and a common desire for community.

NBJC invites you to join in the campaign by sharing stories of Black LGBTQ/SGL people who are making extraordinary contributions at home, in the community or around our country.

In the same vein, Colors of Influence invites you to lift up the individuals included in the campaign. For this Black History Month, let us celebrate the full diversity of the Black community as we work better together to support one another.

Medicine Wheel for the Planet

Jennifer Grenz, PhD Working toward ecological healing requires awareness of how Indigenous ancestral knowledge and living ways can complement Western scientific approaches to environmental restoration and protection practices. Dr. Jennifer Grenz (Nlaxa’pamux mixed ancestry) worked for more than two decades as a field researcher and practitioner for environmental nonprofit organizations, where she worked with different levels of government, including First Nations in Canada. "Medicine Wheel for the Planet" compiles Grenz’s most potent realizations about the lack of forward movement in addressing an impending ecological catastrophe. A warming climate impacts not only human lives but also the natural balance that relies on reciprocal relationships rooted in deep connections to the land. She uses the metaphor of the four directions of the Indigenous “medicine wheel” to invite openness to Indigenous teachings, letting go of colonial narratives, merging lessons f...

Memento - Embracing the Darkness

Dennis "Dizzy" Doan Stories about overcoming and persevering through family dysfunction, poverty, and mental health challenges offer hope and the promise of better days. Dennis “Dizzy” Doan’s memoir Memento: Embracing the Darkness is one such story, with the added complexity of being raised in an immigrant Vietnamese family. Doan’s parents dealt with the mental and emotional aftermath of war, which forcibly uprooted them from their homeland. In the United States, they struggled to create a safe and stable life for their two sons. Doan shares his journey of finding himself, his craft, and eventually a successful tattoo business in Southern California despite personal strife and run-ins with the law. Doan is best known for developing the aesthetic language to combat anti-Asian hate that erupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. His art series titled “Model Minority” went viral, sparking conversation about Asian American identities and harmful stereotypes. In Memento, Doan showcase...

Enlighten Me

Editor's Note: This review was originally published in Los Angeles Book Review . Author Minh Lê Standing up for oneself seems like doing the right thing. Binh did just that in the face of a racist school bully who was poking fun at his Asian heritage. But physically assaulting another student goes against school policy, and it was Binh who got in trouble. Binh shares a silent retreat with his family and younger siblings. Along with other children, he learns about stories from the previous lives of the Buddha. The stories are interesting, but for Binh, it is difficult to sit still and clear his mind when he misses his Gameboy. While he struggles with silence, he learns important lessons about friendship, community, and being present. In the graphic novel "Enlighten Me," award-winning author Minh Lê and bestselling illustrator Chan Chau tell the story of a boy who gains a better understanding of himself as he works on quieting the mind and reflecting on dharma. Lê and Ch...

Colors of Influence Reviews

Search This Blog