It is not taboo to go back for what was left behind - Sankofa

As Black History Month is coming to an end, let’s carry the meaning of what it represents for us as people of the black community. And what better way to do that but by reflecting on one of the most powerful Adinkra Symbols, Sankofa.

Sankofa is a phrase from the Akan people in Ghana and Ivory Coast, that encourages learning from the past to inform the future, reaching back to move forward, and lifting as we climb.

Of all the Adinkra symbols, I believe Sankofa is the one that speaks the most to the black experience. It is a reminder that who we intrinsically are as black people, our beliefs, our history, our culture is always there to guide us. It is a reminder that we can and should always stay close to our roots.

Sankofa can be shown as two Adinkra symbols.

The first symbol is a mythical bird with its feet firmly planted forward while its head is effortlessly turned backwards to reach an egg. The second version, and the one we chose to showcase in our Adinkra Symbol necklace collection, looks more like the conventional symbol for the heart with symmetrical spirals and ornate endings on each side.

Let this pendant be your reminder of the importance of staying in touch with who you are, especially as a Black woman or a Black man. Let's bring the benefits of our past into the present and into the future.