Over the last year, a lot of unfortunate events have occurred within the black community. Whether it’s a simple traffic stop gone wrong, or a misunderstanding turned deadly, lives have been taken senselessly. People have been treated unfairly, and it is time to address it. ‘Black Sankofa’ is a series of articles focusing on multiple situations in the black community.
Sankofa is an Akan term that literally means, “to go back and get it.” The Black Sankofa series is meant to go back and get pride. Go back to the way things used to be, when people were proud and filled with black culture.
In this series, many different topics will be addressed including: hip-hop music, hair/facial features, police brutality, black-on-black crime, black man in America, black woman in America, unity amongst the community, knowing your history, breaking stereotypes, saving the youth, and loving your skin. In each article there will be personal experiences and opinions from Mesa students and professors in hopes that individuals can relate more. The purpose is to address situations most people may be afraid to tackle because it is too controversial.
However that’s the point. Black Sankofa may make others feel uncomfortable; and when something is uncomfortable, it is a human instinct to change it.
Black Sankofa is not to complain about what’s going on in the community; instead it is a platform to address and express the situations and experiences of others. All the while leading a gateway to self-love in a society telling them they are not enough. The change begins here.
