Story by Anyssa Sepulveda
![Tattoo that says UBUNTU. On the shoulder, just above tattoos of flowers.](https://sites.uab.edu/otlife/files/2023/05/Ubuntu-1024x1024.jpeg)
UAB OTD 2 student Nike Sumler got a tattoo of the word “ubuntu” during his study abroad trip to South Africa inspired by the visit and his life. Ubuntu is an ancient African word that means “humanity to others.” Sumler also defined the concept behind the word as, “I am because you are.”
Ubuntu has roots in the Bantu languages of South Africa, but its meaning has evolved over time. Ubuntu is a way of life that values relationships over individualism and encourages people to work together for the greater good. Ubuntu has played a significant role in the history of South Africa, particularly in the struggle against apartheid. Today, it continues to inspire people around the world who are committed to building a more just and equitable global society.
Sumler said this about his reasons for tattooing this philosophy close to his collarbone:
“I wish people would understand that we’re all the same. We all deserve respect, dignity, love, and compassion and, at the end of the day, we’re all human. This word perfectly describes the way I think and how I live my life every day. I finally found a word that embodies what I have been thinking ever since I was younger.”
Sumler went to South Africa with the intention of getting a tattoo but was not sure of what he wanted. Once he heard the word ubuntu, and learned its meaning, he immediately knew that was the tattoo he wanted.
Sumler shared that his former experiences with inequality and racism have led him to “truly embody the meaning of ubuntu” by showing kindness to others no matter their background. He hopes that sharing this word and his experiences will raise awareness of the inequalities that still exist in the United States and help to eliminate them over time.
![Image is a young Black person blindfolded, facing forward. The scales of justice, tipped to one side, are just over their left shoulder.](https://sites.uab.edu/otlife/files/2023/05/Freedom-mural.jpeg)
![The image contains black and white sketches of smiling faces of multiple people of different ethnicities and genders. There are also colorful plants of wild garlic, sour fig and buchu. And there are colorful rectangular and bent shapes of red, brown, black and tan throughout.](https://sites.uab.edu/otlife/files/2023/05/Hope-mural-752x1024.jpeg)
![This is a photo of an isolated beach inlet. The foreground has bushes. The small beach has a person standing, looking at the water. There are giant rock formations on the beach and all around the water. There are two people climbing on one and three people standing and sitting together on another.](https://sites.uab.edu/otlife/files/2023/05/Boulders-Beach.jpeg)
![There are six zebras running by a watering hole. It looks like four adults and two adolescents.](https://sites.uab.edu/otlife/files/2023/05/Zebras.jpeg)