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Sankofas are monthly discussions held for all community members. The discussion topics are chosen by our Sankofa committee and general body. They can range from heavily debated topics in the African American community, University matters to SZA's "The Weekend". 

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Roots of Sankofa

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“In order to understand our present and ensure our future, we must know our past.”

Sankofa comes from the Akan people of West Africa, meaning “it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot.” In practice, Sankofa means going back to our roots in order to move forward. The symbol of the Sankofa is the Sankofa bird that flies forward but is looking back with an egg in its mouth.

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Sankofa contains 3 elements: 1) an ongoing quest for knowledge/truth and meaning, 2) a return to the source, to one’s history and culture for grounding, 3) a critical retrieval and reclaiming of the past.

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Used in therapy, the goal of Sankofa is to “help an individual return intellectually, emotionally, behaviorally, and spiritually to the source of truth, harmony, and spiritual place in their life.”

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Resource: The Emergence of Sankofa Practice in the United States
 

 

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