Sankofa Book Club Launch!
Embracing Ancestral Wisdom Through the Act of Reading. Help us choose our first Book!
Dear friends,
I are excited to introduce the Sankofa Book Club—a welcoming space for communal reading, engaging discussions, and shared insights.
I will be holding this reading space with Ibrahim Bahati, and we invite you to join us.
Why start a Book club?
There's an African proverb that says:
"If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with others."
I have a plethora of unread books on my bookshelf, and I have come to the conclusion that some will remain untouched unless I read in community with others.
Books contain a wealth of valuable information, and many of us have a strong desire to read and expand our knowledge base.
However, the challenge lies in finding the time to delve into the numerous books we acquire. Despite our best intentions, the relentless demands of life often hinder our ability to read, leaving the books we have purchased with lofty intentions untouched on our shelves, gathering dust.
Can you relate?
Rooted in the wisdom of the African proverb, "The Sankofa Book Club is a place where we read together “to go far."
While there are significant benefits to be derived from solo reading, I firmly believe that reading “in community” introduces a unique level of intentionality and accountability that cannot be replicated through solitary reading.
We aim to cultivate meaningful discussions while collectively extracting valuable wisdom from the texts we explore. While Ibrahim and I will serve as guides, your thoughts and contributions will shape our collective journey.
I hope you can join us!
Why Sankofa?
Sankofa is an ancient ancestral philosophy of the Akan people of Ghana, West Africa.
It means “Going to take it back" or "Go back again for it"
The Sankofa is symbolized by the image of a mythical bird with its feet planted forward, but its head turned backward and an egg in its mouth.
Sankofa expresses the Akan people’s firm belief that the past is an accurate guide for the future. Therefore, great importance is placed on gleaning wisdom from the past to create the future.
Practicalities of the Sankofa Book Club:
This book club will operate as a community-driven effort.
We welcome volunteers who help curate notes and contribute to discussions for chosen chapters, focusing on distinct themes to spark engaging conversations. This approach guarantees a fair interchange of knowledge and knowledge production.
Google folders will be created per chapter to document the main ideas and curate relevant comments, insights, quotes, and “aha” moments. This approach will help us create a repository of shared knowledge that we can refer to even after the season concludes.
If you're interested in volunteering, please reach out via email: tamkara@odunife.com.
Important Time Lines
Book selection: September 1st to 6th, 2023 ( seepoll below)
Announcement of selected Book: Friday, September 8, 2023, via Instagram Live: 8 pm EAT / 7 pm CEST
Advance Preparations: September 8th to September 30
-Purchase or download the selected book.
-Familiarize yourself with the chosen book (I have two free books to share).
-Google Docs for Book chapter volunteer sign-ups will be shared during this period.
First Book Club meeting/Zoom: October 2, 2023
Help Us Choose Our First Book!
We've curated a selection of four thought-provoking books for our inaugural reading. Now, we need your help in choosing which one will launch our journey:
The Invention of Women -Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses by Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí
Black-On-Black Violence: The Psychodynamics of Black Self-Annihilation in Service of White Domination by Amos N. Wilson
Any suggestions?
Please cast your vote here or use the poll below .
We'll announce the chosen book on Instagram in the coming days, so stay tuned for updates on our social media channels.
What Does Sankofa Mean to You?
As we launch the Sankofa Book Club, we're eager to hear what Sankofa means to you. What aspects of the past do you believe we should revisit and retrieve? What lessons can we extract from history to create a more just, equitable, and peaceful future?
In community ❤️
Tamkara