Why “Sankofa”?
Sankofa is a word in the Twi language of Ghana that translates to "Go back and get it" (san - to return; ko - to go; fa - to fetch, to seek and take) and also refers to the Asante Adinkra symbol represented either with a stylized heart shape or by a bird with its head turned backwards while its feet face forward carrying a precious egg in its mouth. Sankofa is often associated with the proverb, “Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi," which translates as: "It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten.”
Our collective purpose is to celebrate the social, cultural, religious, civic and political contributions of people of African descent in Morris County from the 1600s to the present age.
We believe that our way forward in Morris County demands that we celebrate our rich heritage and connect the generations – past, present and future.
Why a Collective?
A Collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together to achieve a common objective.
We recognize the great work of the Black religious, social and civic organizations throughout Morris County as well as the countless contributions of individuals who have made our lives better.
Our history is American History!
Why Morris County?
While we acknowledge that Morristown is the center of the Black community in Morris County, we also acknowledge that our story is incomplete if we only focus on connecting the generations in Morristown.
From a funding perspective, we can only pursue grants from the Morris County Heritage Commission if we chose to limit the scope of our work to Morristown. It is our intent to pursue grants from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities and New Jersey Historical Commission.
We also intend to partner with Morris County Tourism Bureau and the Morris County Chamber of Commerce to demonstrate the economic impact of our culture celebrations.