Upcoming Events
Ubuntu’s 2023 Annual Gala
December 9 | 7:30 – 11pm
Capulet | 3014 Daupine St.
Ubuntu Village NOLA invites you to join us at our annual gala! Whether you’re new to our village or have been with us from the beginning, we need you there to celebrate our collective work toward racial, economic, and social justice. Bring a friend and put on your dancing shoes!
Dinner, an open bar, and a live band are included in the ticket price, and we hope you will consider an additional donation to support young people and their families in the juvenile legal system. By banding together, we can make New Orleans a place where safety and health, rather than violence and incarceration, are the norm. After all…I AM BECAUSE YOU ARE.
Past Events
Art Exhibit
On view at the Newcomb Art Museum – an art exhibition centering the voices and experiences of more than 20 system-impacted youth.
Through painting, sculpture, performance, and other media, the show explores the history and present of the juvenile justice system, while asking about the future: what could a Louisiana without youth prisons be?
The exhibit was developed by leaders in transformational justice, including Ubuntu executive director Ernest Johnson, alongside the Newcomb Museum of Art. The exhibition includes artworks from local artists and youth.
Holiday Meal at the Youth Jail 2022
Every December, Ubuntu staff, parents, and volunteers organize a meal at New Orleans’ youth jail. We bring food, gifts, and games to make the season a little brighter for the kids. Most importantly, we ensure young people and their families have the opportunity to share a holiday meal together. Check out some photos from our 2022 event!
2022 Annual Gala: Caring & Sharing
Ubuntu’s biggest celebration of the year! We came together to eat, drink, dance, and give thanks for our village and all we’ve accomplished together.
Special thanks to our hosts at Capulet in the Bywater and our generous sponsors: Families & Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children (FFLIC), Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights (LCCR), Advancing Communities for Equity, Liberty Barbers, and Bonfolk.
Parent Resource Fair July 2022
On July 30, Ubuntu Village parent organizers held a resource fair for their fellow caretakers. Families came to Joe Brown Park to pick up free school supplies, learn about resources available to them in the community, and meet, greet, and eat! We are grateful to our nearly 20 partner organizations who made the event possible and hope everyone has a great school year.
Holiday Meal at the Youth Jail 2020
Ubuntu was excited to provide a holiday meal for youth incarcerated at the New Orleans Juvenile Justice Intervention Center (JJIC). Sadly, due to COVID-19, family members were not able to attend. Ubuntu collected monetary and food donations and put together gift bags for all 48 young people held at the JJIC. Gift boxes included books, socks, and toiletries like deodorant and toothpaste.
Thanksgiving Drive 2020
On November 23rd, Ubuntu Village NOLA distributed 100 meal boxes to the community through our Thanksgiving Meal Box Drive. Each box included essentials for a home-made meal including stuffing, cake mix and icing, as well as a gift card for the turkey. Our village takes care of each other!
Voting Advocacy 2020
In preparation for the 2020 election for District Attorney and juvenile court judges, Ubuntu Village NOLA put together a guide of resources and a social media outreach campaign to help New Orleanians make informed decisions at the polls. In response to the COVID pandemic, a few parents from our network were trained to disseminate election information resources through social media, personally reaching more than 2,000 New Orleanians via their timelines.
Additionally, Ubuntu joined both The Platform For Youth Justice and The People’s DA Coalition, two powerful coalitions working to attain restorative justice by educating officials and holding them accountable. The Platform for Youth Justice hosted two public forums via Zoom for juvenile court justice candidates (October 1st) and district attorney candidates (October 10th).