The meaning of the Sankofa Bird

When we first agreed to host the family in Charlotte, the thing that kept coming back to me was the importance of "reaching back." We must reach back in order to move forward. In this sense, the idea of "Sankofa" took root. It means simply, "that is not wrong to fetch what is at risk of being left behind." The Sankofa bird is pictured with its feet firmly planted forward with its head turned back, dropping a rock at its back (towards its nest). It is a symbol of the Akan tribe of Ghana and the importance that in moving forward, we cannot forget from which and what we have come. The Akans tribal wisdom comes from their understanding that movement and learning happens as time passes. With this learning there is acknowledgment that the past is always with us and needs to be utilized to guide us into the future.