Our Sankofa Moment
What does sankofa mean?
Literally translated as "go back and fetch it," sankofa is a Asante Twi word from the Akan people of Ghana. The word is often associated with the Akan proverb "Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi," which translates to "It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten."
This aphorism, like many in the Ghanian culture, is represented within the collection of Ghanian symbols known as Akindra. Visually, Sankofa is often represented by a bird flying forward with it's head turned backwards to retrieve an egg from its back.
Why is this Our Sankofa Moment?
This COMloquium event comes as a point of reflection. With the upcoming 4 year anniversary
of the Karson Institute's opening, and a year since the opening of our physical location
in the Loyola Notre Dame Library, we take this moment as a time to reflect on our
past 4 years of work while moving towards even bigger goals.
Like the bird symbolizing sankofa, we fly forward into this critical and historical
year with the past four in mind. With a foundation to look back on, we ask:
- How can we improve our institute?
- How can we improve our community?
- How can we improve the world?
- Where are we needed?
