Sankofa: Honoring Our Past, Reclaiming Our Power

Main message: The conversation centered on Sancofa: remembering Black history in order to reclaim power, organize for justice, and move forward through the Black church’s legacy of liberation. Speakers tied that legacy to present-day work in voting, legal advocacy, and community organizing.

Key points:

• Sancofa was presented as a call to “reach back” to recover what is valuable from the past so the community can move forward.
• Dr. Haynes argued that the Black church historically joined spirituality with social responsibility, turning pulpits into platforms for abolition and civil rights.
• Lee Merritt described how his legal work seeks not just verdicts, but systemic change through new laws and accountability measures.
• The panel emphasized that Black institutions like the Black church, Urban League, NAACP, HBCUs, and voting organizations must work together.
• Speakers stressed that justice work takes a toll and that mental health, care, and communal support are necessary to sustain the movement.
• The closing call to action focused on voting, organizing, and ongoing civic engagement as an expression of faith in action.

Scriptures mentioned: Hebrews/“the Hebrew scriptures” (general reference), no specific citation