Sankofa: Learning from the Past to Build the Future
The concept of Sankofa derives from King Adinkera of the Akan people of West Africa. In Akan language, Sankofa is expressed as “so wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenki”. The translation of this African proverb in English language expresses “it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot”. Sankofa teaches us the importance of learning from the past to build the future.
This exhibition gives us an opportunity to pause, learn and appreciate our past to inform and guide our vision of the North Carolina State University collective black experience through a futuristic lens. Utilizing archival photography as the foundation, this exhibition showcases the historical evolution of black folx, black stories, and black collectives at NC State. The Sankofa exhibition will take place from September 10 through October 10 in the African American Cultural Center Art Gallery on the Second Floor of Witherspoon Student Center.
It is our hope that folx who visit the exhibition will leave inspired and encouraged knowing that our past has provided us with so much hope in knowing that black folx will dynamically exist in the present, and will powerfully exist in the future and candidly forever.
The African American Cultural Center Art Gallery will be open to view this exhibition Monday-Friday from 9 a.m – 5 p.m. Please click here if you would like to request a special viewing.