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About The Event Haiti and the Revolution Unseen invites scholars and artists of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) to know Haitians as Ginens (African Haitians) and Haiti as Ayiti Ginen (Africa Haiti). This form of knowing demands a decolonial understanding of the Haitian Revolution that privileges Africans and the immense political influence of their knowledge practices in Saint Domingue; and it also demands a reevaluation of stories of the Revolution as told by influential twentieth century Caribbean writers and supported by scholars who teach and write about Caribbean classics of the Revolution. These stories misremember and misrepresent the Revolution as a republican feat led by Caribbean born revolutionists. They write Africans out of the uprising and fail to engage resistant peoples on their own cultural terms, which results in artistic and critical engagements with the Revolution that are not only defeatist at conception, but they are fundamentally unable to nurture the reader’s decolonial imagination as intended. Natalie M. Léger is an Associate Professor of English at Temple University, who specializes in twentieth century anti-colonial thought and decolonial philosophy in Caribbean literature and African diasporic fiction. Her research interests also focus on race and visual culture, Latin American literature, and magical realist cultural production. She received her PhD in English Literature from Cornell University in 2011, completed an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at Tufts University in 2014 and was a 2016-2017 Ford Postdoctoral Fellowship Recipient. Her first book, Haiti and the Revolution Unseen: The Persistence of the Radical Decolonial Imagination was recently published with Vanderbilt University Press in September 2025. Professor Carole Boyce Davies is Chair of the English Department at Howard University and H.T. Rhodes Professor of Humane Letters emerita and Professor of Africana Studies and Literatures in English at Cornell University. She is the author of the prize-wining Left of Karl Marx. The Political Life of Black Communist Claudia Jones (2008); the classic Black Women, Writing and Identity: Migrations of the Subject (1994); Caribbean Spaces. Escape Routes from Twilight Zones (2013) on the internalization of Caribbean culture; and a bi-lingual children’s story Walking/An Avan (2016/2017) in Haitian Kreyol and English. In addition to over a hundred essays, articles published in major professional journals, Dr. Boyce-Davies has also published fifteen critical editions on African, African Diaspora and Caribbean literature and culture such as the two-volume collection of critical and creative writing Moving Beyond Boundaries (1995): International Dimensions of Black Women's Writing (volume 1), Black Women's Diasporas (volume 2); the 3-volumeEncyclopedia of the African Diaspora (Oxford: ABC-CLIO, 2008) and Claudia Jones Beyond Containment: Autobiographical Reflections, Poetry, Essays (2011) and Pan-African Connections (2019) A member of the scientific committee for UNESCO’s updated GeneralHistory of Africa, she edited the epistemological forum on “Global Blackness” for the African Diaspora volume and is a member of the Scientific Committee of the African Humanities Forum (based in Mali). Her most recent publication is Black Women’s Rights. Leadership and the Circularities of Power (2022/2023). She is a past president of the Caribbean Studies Association which organized under her leadership the first CSA Conference in Haiti in 2016. Her popular essays and reviews have appeared in The Guardian (London), The Washington Post, The Crisis, Ms Magazine, Ithaca Journal, The Black Scholar, Miami Herald, Trinidad Express, Trinidad Guardian, Caribbean Today, Caribbean Contact, Newsweek.

Poetry as Protest - New Age Poetry Showcase and Open Mic Join us every second Wednesday of the month at Sankofa! New Age Open Mic is a free, youth-led poetry showcase and open mic held every 2nd Wednesday at Sankofa. New Age centers Poetry As Protest: where poetry meets revolutionary work. With tunes by DJ Kamea, live drummer Sundiata Gittens, and an in-house cafe and bookstore, this isn't just a mic, it's a community experience! Organized and hosted by 2025 Youth Poet Laureate and Howard Freshman Kai Diata Giovanni and slam & typewriter poet Jayden Antwine.

''We honored the legacy of Dr. King on Monday with a packed teach-in at Sankofa Cafe with Frank Chapman, longtime activist and Executive Director of NAARPR. Moderated by KB and Amber-Jane of DCAARPR, we discussed the roots of the Black liberation movement, including the historic demand of community control of the police and Frank’s book, Black Liberation and Socialism. Throughout the event, we connected the threads of history with our current moment in time and what we can do to fight back against racist and political repression in our communities today.'' - DCAARPR

Sankofa proudly presents the launch of No More Worlds to Conquer by Brian G.Gilmore, a compelling exploration of Washington, DC’s rich Black literary history and its lasting influence on American poetry.

ምጥቀት በቅኔ አክናፍ : የኢትዮጵያዊው ባለ ቅኔ እና ጸሐፊ ተውኔት ጸጋዬ ገብረ መድኅን የሕይወት ታሪክ በተሰኘው የፋሲል ይትባረክ መጽሐፍ ዙሪያ ከአስተዋይ መርድ ፣ አለም ጸሐይ ወዳጆ፣ ጴጥሮስ ቶጃ (ዶ/ር) እንዲሁም ዮዲት ጸጋዬ ጋር የምናደርገውን ውይይት ተገኝተው እንዲካፈሉ በአክብሮት እንጋብዛለን። #EthiopianLiterature #sankofa #ethiopia #TsegayeGebreMedhin

An afternoon of critical conversation & community learning at Sankofa! #sanctuary #sankofa #immigration #Copaganda

Teshome Berhanu Kemal is an Ethiopian journalist, author, and public relations professional with a distinguished career spanning over four decades in media, government, and literary circles. Born in Sekota, Amhara Region, in 1954, he holds a B.A. and diploma in English Language and Literature, as well as multiple certifications in journalism, management, and communication from both national and international institutions. Teshome’s professional journey includes key roles at Ethiopian Television, the Ethiopian Press Agency, the House of Representatives, and the Ethiopian Shipping Lines, among others. His contributions to journalism education and public communication have earned him numerous certificates of recognition across regions in Ethiopia. A prolific writer, Teshome has published over 2,000 articles and authored 15 children’s books, several plays, and a wide range of works on history, folklore, Islamic civilization, and biography. His creative and scholarly output reflects a deep commitment to cultural preservation, education, and social development. He has actively participated in national and international conferences, and served on multiple organizational committees. In his personal life, he is a devoted husband and father of five sons; four of whom are college graduates. He enjoys reading, birdwatching, and storytelling for childre

As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of Independence (2026) and the 500th anniversary of its direct connection to the Middle Passage, this one-time panel centers an inclusive national narrative grounded in documented history. The discussion examines the presence of Africans in North America since 1513, the Middle Passage as the largest forced migration in human history (1526–1866), and the decisive role of enslaved and free Africans and their descendants in shaping Washington, D.C., and the nation. With a focus on the Potomac River and the D.C. region, panelists trace histories of arrival, survival, resistance, and community building. The program highlights the work of the Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project (founded 2011), which has documented 90+ Middle Passage arrival sites and supports remembrance ceremonies and historical markers honoring the 12 million Africans taken, the 2 million who perished, and the 10 million who survived to build the Americas. Topics include: The legacy of the Middle Passage Enslaved African labor in constructing national institutions, including the U.S. Capitol, White House, Supreme Court, and Smithsonian Black resistance, abolition, and civil rights activism The importance of African American cemeteries in Washington, D.C. The history of Georgetown’s Black community through the 30th anniversary edition of Black Georgetown Remembered Panelists: Ann Chinn, C.R. Gibbs, Lisa Fager, Erika Berg

Gems from Sankofa's Archives#SankofaDC #sankofa #washingtondc #poetry

#sankofa #nubia #nubiamusic #sudanesemusic #SudanonourMind

Explore Ethiopia’s history and cultural heritage in “Ethiopia: Modern Nation – Ancient Roots.” This discussion reflects on the country’s ancient traditions, key historical milestones, and the experiences that shaped Ethiopia into the nation it is today. A thoughtful look at Ethiopia’s past and the roots that continue to influence its modern identity.

A Biweekly Community Gathering.

Explore Ethiopia’s history and cultural heritage in “Ethiopia: Modern Nation – Ancient Roots.” This discussion reflects on the country’s ancient traditions, key historical milestones, and the experiences that shaped Ethiopia into the nation it is today. A thoughtful look at Ethiopia’s past and the roots that continue to influence its modern identity.

We came together at Sankofa to honor the legacy of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. The evening featured a powerful conversation with Dr. Greg Carr and Haile Gerima, followed by a grounded community discussion that opened space for shared reflections on literature, film, language, and cultural liberation. Featuring: Dr. Greg Carr & Haile Gerima Hosted at: Sankofa Video and Books #NgugiWaThiongo #DrGregCarr #HaileGerima #Sankofa #AfricanLiterature #AfricanCinema #PanAfricanism

Join author Nikesha Breeze in conversation with Professor Greg Thomas on A Mutiny of Morning, followed by a special screening of Stages of Tectonic Blackness | Return:Remember.

An evening of dialogue with Dr. Sheneese Thompson and Dr. Greg Carr traced how sacred African spirituality moves through film, literature, and performance, revealing the subtle ways Black women artists mobilize ancestral frameworks to negotiate identity, memory, and agency. The conversation also touched on the complexities that arise when ancestral ties are interpreted—or misinterpreted—in contemporary contexts, including the quieter tensions surrounding how traditional spiritual practices are sometimes challenged from within. These layers added nuance to the exploration of how spiritual memory continues to shape and unsettle the Black expressive tradition. #Oshun #BlackCulture #AfroAtlantic #BeyonceLemonade #AuthorTalk #BlackAuthors #CulturalStudies #DiasporaStudies #BlackFeminism #BookDiscussion #LiteraryCommunity #BlackExcellence #PanAfricanism #DrGregCarr #SheneeseThompson

Book of Resistance and Critical Theory for Disturbing Times Join us for a powerful conversation with Dr. Makungu M. Akinyela as he shares insights from his latest work on storytelling, healing, and social justice.Moderated by Jomo Muhammad.