This advanced philosophical course takes students on a transformative journey through Afro-centric and Indigenous ways of knowing, using Ubuntu as a foundational lens.
Moving beyond established ideas, this course challenges students to transcend the boundaries of identity, culture, religion, and race, propelling them into new realms of thought about consciousness and reality. By dismantling societal constructs and engaging with spiritual principles of interconnectedness, this course offers students a pathway to discover their highest state of being—one that unites all life beyond labels and categories.
In the opening phase, the course ground students in the deep wisdom of Ubuntu, an ancient African philosophy that asserts: “I am because we are.” Students will explore the teachings of Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and other thought leaders who have embodied Ubuntu’s core principles of shared humanity and interdependence. Students will move beyond merely understanding Ubuntu as a philosophy of community to viewing it as a blueprint for a higher state of collective consciousness.
Students will be encouraged to reflect on how Ubuntu challenges the fragmented, individualistic consciousness dominating much of Western thought. Course readings, lectures, and assignments will help students move beyond seeing Ubuntu as a cultural philosophy and instead embrace it as the bridge to unlocking a more profound understanding of existence, one that dissolves boundaries between self and other.
Building upon the interconnectedness of humanity, Phase 2 dismantles the social constructs of race, nationality, and culture. While many thinkers have analyzed race as a falsehood, this course dares to go further, reframing race and cultural identity as illusions of the ego, designed to keep humanity trapped in division.
Students will engage with works by Frantz Fanon, Kwame Anthony Appiah, and Audre Lorde, but they will also be asked to think beyond these ideas.
The course will posit that biological and cultural markers are superficial constructs, created to maintain systems of oppression and separation. The true essence of identity lies in consciousness itself—not in race, gender, or nationality. Here, we shift focus from the external to the internal, from the physical to the metaphysical, and push students to question, “What is the nature of my reality?” and “What remains when all social identities are stripped away?”
In this final phase, students will embark on a deeper journey into the nature of consciousness and spiritual awakening. This phase focuses on transcending the ego and the false identities we attach to, such as race, nationality, and religion. The emphasis is placed on recognizing the interconnectedness of all life and embracing the oneness of existence. Drawing on spiritual and philosophical teachings, students will explore how these insights can heal racial, historical, and intergenerational wounds, and lead to societal transformation.
This phase will encourage students to engage in reflective practices, including meditation and journaling, to explore their personal and collective evolution toward a higher state of being. The goal is to move students toward a vision of human consciousness where connection and unity are not mere ideals but lived experiences that foster healing and growth at both individual and societal levels.
By the end of this course, students will:
1. Critically engage with the foundational principles of Ubuntu, exploring its philosophical roots as a framework for understanding interconnectedness and collective consciousness.
2. Evaluate how Ubuntu challenges Western notions of individualism, fostering a philosophical shift towards a worldview that prioritizes shared humanity and mutual responsibility.
3. Analyze and interpret the teachings of thought leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, applying their perspectives to develop an elevated understanding of community as an essential aspect of existence.
4. Philosophically deconstruct the constructs of race, nationality, and cultural identity, examining them as constructs perpetuated by the ego and systems of power to maintain division.
5. Engage in critical discourse and reflective analysis that push beyond traditional understandings of identity, leading to a recognition that true identity is rooted in consciousness rather than external or societal labels.
6. Formulate and defend arguments that challenge existing perceptions of race and culture, moving towards an intellectually rigorous understanding of self as independent of social constructs.
7. Explore and articulate the nature of consciousness and spiritual awakening, examining the implications of transcending ego-based identities to reach a unified state of being.
8. Synthesize philosophical teachings and reflective practices, including meditation and journaling, to foster an experiential understanding of interconnectedness and oneness as the essence of reality.
9. Develop and present a comprehensive philosophical framework for healing individual and collective traumas, incorporating the unity of being as a pathway to social and spiritual transformation.
Section Title: Becoming 105: Ubuntu – Afro-Descendant & Indigenous Ways of Knowing & Being
Type: Online
Dates: May 09, 2025
Total Hours: 36.0
Delivery Options: Online
Course Fee(s): Registration Fee $630.00
Section Notes: Upcoming
Instructor: Kenneth Wallace, Ph.D, Tamari Kitossa, Ph.D, Robert Leigh Pruitt II, M
This online, course will be available on the start date through My Brightspace, which is accessible through your student portal.
Website: https://lemonchiffon-frog-117233.hostingersite.com/ubuntu
Section Title: Becoming 105: Ubuntu – Afro-Descendant & Indigenous Ways of Knowing & Being
Type: Online
Dates: September 05, 2025
Total Hours: 36.0
Delivery Options: Online
Course Fee(s): Registration Fee $840.00
Section Notes: Upcoming
Instructor: Kenneth Wallace, Ph.D, Tamari Kitossa, Ph.D, Robert Leigh Pruitt II, M
This online, course will be available on the start date through My Brightspace, which is accessible through your student portal.
Website: https://lemonchiffon-frog-117233.hostingersite.com/ubuntu
Section Title: Becoming 105: Ubuntu – Afro-Descendant & Indigenous Ways of Knowing & Being
Type: Online
Dates: Jan 09 2026
Total Hours: 36.0
Delivery Options: Online
Course Fee(s): Registration Fee $840.00
Section Notes: Upcoming
Instructor: Kenneth Wallace, Ph.D, Tamari Kitossa, Ph.D, Robert Leigh Pruitt II, M
This online, course will be available on the start date through My Brightspace, which is accessible through your student portal.
Website: https://lemonchiffon-frog-117233.hostingersite.com/ubuntu
Section Title: Becoming 105: Ubuntu – Afro-Descendant & Indigenous Ways of Knowing & Being
Type: Online
Dates: May 08 2026
Total Hours: 36.0
Delivery Options: Online
Course Fee(s): Registration Fee $840.00
Section Notes: Upcoming
Instructor: Kenneth Wallace, Ph.D, Tamari Kitossa, Ph.D, Robert Leigh Pruitt II, M
This online, course will be available on the start date through My Brightspace, which is accessible through your student portal.
Website: https://lemonchiffon-frog-117233.hostingersite.com/ubuntu
Section Title: Becoming 105: Ubuntu – Afro-Descendant & Indigenous Ways of Knowing & Being
Type: Online
Dates: Sep 11 2026
Total Hours: 36.0
Delivery Options: Online
Course Fee(s): Registration Fee $840.00
Section Notes: Upcoming
Instructor: Kenneth Wallace, Ph.D, Tamari Kitossa, Ph.D, Robert Leigh Pruitt II, M
This online, course will be available on the start date through My Brightspace, which is accessible through your student portal.
Website: https://lemonchiffon-frog-117233.hostingersite.com/ubuntu
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Dr. Joan Samuels-Dennis,
Dean, School of Psychotherapeutic Innovations
Becoming Institute Inc
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