On September 12th, the newly organized Sankofa Affinity Network held its first event, titled The Global Family Reunion, in the Shaw Center of Hillyer. Students and faculty were invited to come and join the network or to simply join in community with each other. While there, attendees could enjoy some snacks, enjoy some music, or play Mario Kart with the co-founder of Sankofa Affinity Network, Jordan Josée Brown (who will probably beat you in Mario Kart).
Brown is also the coordinator for the Inclusive, Excellence, and Belonging office at UHart. She also shared that she began Sankofa as a way to connect African diaspora members across UHart, and to truly join in the community. Sankofa comes from the Twi expression of ‘san kofa’, meaning “Go back and get it!”, according to adinkrasymbols.org. It serves as a reminder that if you forget, then you have to go back and get what you forgot. But in contemporary uses, it refers to looking back at African diasporic history and culture. And this is a part of the purpose for Sankofa’s existence. Affinity Networks under UHart are employee-led networks centered around shared identities, and interests, designed to create strengthened connections across these communities.
The Global Family Reunion happened because of these values, and it is the first instrumental step in building Sankofa Affinity Network. The network is also planning more events in the future centered around these ideas. For more information and to join as a member, contact Jordan Josée Brown at [email protected] or Christina Swaiden at [email protected].
