Sankofa: Fellows in African American & Diaspora Studies

Sankofa in the Akan language of Ghana translates in English to "reach back and get it" or "we must go back and reclaim our past so we can move forward". It is often associated with the proverb, "Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi," which translates "It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten. It symbolizes one taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present in order to make positive progress through the benevolent use of knowledge. In this vein, we as an organization strive to discuss and tackle issues afflicting our lives in the present by understanding the varying structures of the past.

The purpose of Sankofa is to: 1) provide a space of no judgment for agency and voice for intellectuals within African-American & Diaspora Studies and community-at-large; 2) promote pride and awareness of the vast Black Diaspora through multiple entities, not only to its members but to the entire Vanderbilt community; and 3) support and promote the scholarship of African American & Diaspora Studies Department.