The Spirit of Ubuntu Documentary

Mission to Africa-In the summer of 2022 Pato Banton and Antoinette Rootsdawtah journey to Africa to shoot a documentary on Ubuntu in 10 African countries.

This first time I ever went to Africa it had changed my life forever! It was back in the 90’s when Reggae Legend Sister Carol AKA “Mother Culture”, “Black Cinderella” had brought me to Dakar, Senegal where they gave her the keys to the city after our performance in front of 60,000 people!

I knew I was home when I set foot on the Motherland! I tell people all the time they must make a pilgrimage back as their lives would never be the same again. For instance, the color of the red earth is so different than anywhere else in the world.

Since then, I kept thinking I would never get another chance to go. Thankfully enough I did get a chance to come back to Africa backing other legendary reggae artists Anthony B in Gambia and Glenn Washington in Kenya.

In the summer of 2022, my husband Pato and I went on a journey to Africa to shoot a documentary on Ubuntu in 10 African countries. Of course I said yes even though I was on a healing journey after being diagnosed with breast cancer. When I say Africa changed my life forever, it changed it again forever, saving my life.

Now this time of the year is one of the busiest seasons for reggae artists and musicians so you can imagine we weren’t taking any time off in-between going back and forth to Africa. We would fly back to the US and pick back up where we left off on our tours in Hawaii, West Coast runs, Florida and the Midwest. People would say to us all the time ”I’m tired just looking at your schedule!”

To tell you the truth, I never felt more energized! There’s something to getting back to your Roots!

Ubuntu Origin

Ubuntu-{oǒ’boǒntoō|}is an ancient African word meaning ‘humanity to others’. It is often described as reminding us that ‘I am, because you are” or ‘I am, because WE are”. In a philosophical sense it promotes the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity”.

"Ubuntu" as a political philosophy encourages mutual support, community equity and socialization. (which should not be confused with socialism) The name also differs by country, such as in Angola (gimuntu), Botswana (muthu), Burundi (ubuntu), Cameroon (bato), Congo (bantu), Congo Democratic Republic (bomoto/bantu), Kenya (utu/munto/mondo), Malawi (umunthu), Mozambique (vumuntu), Namibia (omundu), Rwanda (ubuntu), South Africa (ubuntu/botho), Tanzania (utu/obuntu/bumuntu), Uganda (obuntu), Zambia (umunthu/ubuntu) and Zimbabwe (Ubuntu, unhu or hunhu). It is also found in other Bantu countries. The are different definitions in different regions, but they all point to one thing – “an authentic individual human being is part of a larger and more significant relational, communal, societal, environmental and spiritual world.”

The purpose and destiny of this project is to present the meaning and values of Ubuntu across all regions of Africa and around the world. By creating a Video Documentary that focuses on the Social, Ethical, Moral and Universal aspects of Ubuntu and how it can be applied in practical life situations, will allow teachers and leaders the opportunity to share these valuable lessons with their respective communities and hopefully inspire the next generation to become enthusiastic activists to bring about more peace and global progress. Let’s bring the Spirit of Ubuntu to the world!

Now that the documentary is completed we have decided to call it “The Spirit of Ubuntu”. Let the journey begin…