The Sankofa Projects at Hampton Heritage Day ~ Fort Monroe April 12, 2014

On Saturday, April 12, 11 am -5 pm, the Hampton History Museum hosted Hampton Heritage Day which honors the three cultures; the Indian, the Settler and the African who have made the city of Hampton what it is today. The Sankofa Projects began with a supplication to the ancestors. The Sankofa Project Remembrance Drummers orchestrated by Baba Sikli of Akebuland Ensemble started the program off with traditional African drumming and song. Chadra Pittman Walke, Founder and Executive Director of The Sankofa Projects gave remarks on the importance of Remembrance in her talk "3 cultures and 3 experiences on 1 soil." Also at the event, were the Legacy of Weyanoke, the Ubuntu Dance Collective, the Meherrin and Iroquois Nation and the 17th century English Music performers.

Heritage Day was a beautiful display of the Indian, European and African cultures which are the foundation of what makes Hampton the city that it is today. Despite how horrific moments in history have been, the Adinkra symbol Sankofa teaches us the importance of looking back, even and especially at the painful parts of our history so that we can move forward with a better understanding of who we were and learn from our past.

Mayor George Wallace, Councilman Moffett and Councilman Tuck were in attendance lending their support. Bravo to the Hampton History Museum for their vision for this event. Partners Hampton History Museum, Hampton Parks & Recreation, Hampton Citizens' Unity Commission, Hampton University Museum, Lighting the Way Education, Meherrin Nation, Project 1619, The Sankofa Projects, Tucker Family Society, Weyanoke Association for Red-Black History & Culture Photo credits: Alicia Phillips, Mikel Fuller, Dmitri Clawson and Marie Woodard