THE CITY OF HAMPTON REMEMBERS THE AFRICAN ANCESTORS WHO PERISHED IN THE MIDDLE PASSAGE

The Sankofa Projects PO Box 9543 Hampton, Virginia 23670 . 757-816-1579 . chadrapw@gmail.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact-- Chadra Pittman Walke “4th Annual International Day of Remembrance” Saturday, June 13, 2015 ~ 11:00 am ~ Buckroe Beach in Hampton, Virginia Hampton, VA-- On Saturday, June 13, 2015, The Sankofa Projects will orchestrate its 4th Annual International Day of Remembrance at Buckroe Beach at 11:00am. The location of the ceremony will be at North 1st and Pilot Avenue on Buckroe Beach. Remembrance is an international ceremony which honors the millions of African men, women and children who perished during the Middle Passage of the Transatlantic Enslavement Trade. According to the United Nations, the “transatlantic slave trade” is known to be “the largest forced migration in history, and incontrovertibly one of the most inhumane.” “Death at sea was common over the course of slavery and millions of Africans were thrown into the Atlantic Ocean, drowned in ship wrecks or jumped to resist a life of enslavement.” says Chadra Pittman Walke, Founder and Executive Director of The Sankofa Projects. Established in 2012, The Sankofa Projects creates educational and cultural programs that explore the richness and diversity of the African diaspora through the lens of history and culture. "Recognizing the historical significance of the city of Hampton as the birth place of slavery in British North America and where the seeds of freedom were sown with the "Contraband Decision" in 1861, I felt it was imperative to start a tradition of Remembrance in Hampton. Remembrance is that ‘middle chapter, that untold story’ between slavery and freedom which needs to be told so that all understand the gravity and horror of this often ignored and cruel chapter of American and global history." says Pittman Walke, Last year, The Sankofa Projects received a Proclamation from the City of Hampton and Mayor George Wallace presented by Vice Mayor Linda Curtis acknowledging the 2nd Saturday in June annually in Hampton as The Sankofa Projects International Day of Remembrance. Remembrance is part of a long standing tradition which began in Brooklyn, New York in 1989 when author and activist Toni Cade Bambara put out a call for action for the community to “reclaim those bones in the Atlantic Ocean…All those African bodies in the briny deep.” Bambara’s words began an International movement which is celebrated annually on the 2nd Saturday in June across the globe. "Through Remembrance, The Sankofa Projects has aligned the city of Hampton with a larger International movement, creating a platform for the diversity of the community to gather, establishing community partnerships and creating a venue for public education .” says Pittman Walke Featured on the 2015 program will be Singer and songwriter Narissa Bond, Poets Synnika Lofton, Marisa Poulson, Shavon Glo Shines, and LaShawne Bryant, Legacy of Weyanoke, Hampton Performing Arts Musical Mosaic, Crystal Sessoms, Director of SEEDAHOPE Productions, Regina Scott Sanford, performing artist and owner of Culture of 1 Enterprises, Singer Shaunte Spears, Coyoba Dance Theater, a contemporary West African Dance Company under the Artistic direction of Sylvia Soumah, Reggae Artist TONAHOPE, Traditional African drumming and dancing and Educational Presentations. At 12:00 noon at Buckroe Beach in Hampton, an International Libation will be orchestrated by Baba Orimalade Ogunjimi of Ile Nago, which will occur simultaneously across the United States in Brooklyn, New York, Charleston, South Carolina; Georgetown, SC; Oakland, California, St. Croix, Virgin Islands and internationally in Panama and Ghana, and Senegal in Africa. Descendants are encouraged to wear African/Cultural attire and attendees are encouraged to wear colorful clothing. We ask all attendees to bring beach chairs and umbrellas to shade you and fresh flowers for the ceremony. We are grateful to our sponsors: Nserewa Adorned, Reiki Healing Arts, Living Divinity Services by Amani, Kente’s African American Café, Spruce’s Cutting Corner, Cecelia & Carlton Pittman, the City of Hampton Parks and Recreation and the Hampton History Museum for their continued support of Remembrance. Remembrance is free and open to the public however, we ask that all respect the sanctity of this sacred and historic event. For more information, contact Chadra Pittman Walke of The Sankofa Projects at chadrapw@gmail.com or 757-816-1579 www.thesankofaprojects.blogspot.com ####