Sankofa “Return and Get it”
West African Adinkra symbol for the act of movement and fluidity in regards to knowledge.
The symbol — shown in the photo on an interior window in the Carter G. Woodson Center — is based on a mythical bird with its feet firmly planted forward with its head turned backwards. Thus, the Akan believe the past serves as a guide for planning the future. To the Akan, it is this wisdom in learning from the past which ensures a strong future.
The Akans believe that there must be movement and new learning as time passes. As this forward march proceeds, the knowledge of the past must never be forgotten.