Sankofa, the Akan word for ‘go back and fetch it’, is one of my guiding lights. Most people have heard about the Sankofa principle before, probably from Marcus Garvey, who said: “A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” I am on a Sankofa journey, just like the mythical Sankofa bird that flies forward while its head is turned backwards.
My Sankofa journey is about deepening my African livity, reconnecting with my ancestral memory, and rediscovering the stories of our collective heritage. It is about reclaiming my past and tapping into ancient wisdom, indigenous knowledge systems to guide my future.
I am an African woman from West of West Africa. They mistook me for a West Indian and now they call me a Bahamian, but my spirit knows its source. I am a nationless African from West of West Africa and my spirit is unleashed.
Sankofa by Cassandra Wilson
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