Sankofa is an Akan term that literally means, “to go back and get it.” One of the Adinkra symbols for Sankofa (seen on the left) depicts a mythical bird flying forward with its head turned backward. The egg in its mouth represents the “gems” or knowledge of the past upon which wisdom is based; it also signifies the generation to come that would benefit from that wisdom. This symbol often is associated with the 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.” The Akan believe that the past illuminates the present and that the search for knowledge is a life-long process. The pictograph illustrates the quest for knowledge, while the proverb suggests the rightness of such a quest as long as it is based on knowledge of the past.
Tags
brigade
canton
Caribbean
Charlottesville
cja
climate
climate justice
Climate Justice Alliance
Climate Justice Alliance is Born
Climate Justice Youth Summit
COP28
DACA
Defend DACA
Dreamers
environmental
environmental justice
false solutions
flood
Florida
funding
Haiti
Houston
human rights
hurricane
Irma
It Takes Roots
justice
Just Recovery
Just Transition
Mississippi
National Day of Action
nissan
our power
OurPowerPR
paris
policy
racism
recovery
relief
support
Texas
The Climate Justice Alignment Process Begins
union
white supremacy
workers rights
Search the blog
Categories
Submit Content
If you have content that you think CJA would like to feature or are a member of the alliance with a story that you would like featured send an inquiry to [email protected].