Sankofa Fest

Sankofa is a word in the Twi language of Ghana that translates as "Go back and get it" and also refers to the Asante Adinkra symbol represented either with a stylized heart shape or by a bird with its head turned backwards taking an egg off its back. Sankofa is often associated with the proverb, “Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi," which translates as: "It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten."[1]

The Sankofa District in Syracuse, New York runs along South Salina Street from Taylor Street to Newell Avenue. Encompassing the heart of the south side of Syracuse, the area will be celebrated as the drum and heartbeat of the city. The Sankofa district includes locally owned businesses, cultural, social, and artistic venues, and historic housing along the South Salina Street corridor.

Since 2010, the number of new locally owned businesses has tripled in the Sankofa District. A new cafe, a wine and liquor shop, a pocket park, a public access technology center, a clothing boutique, an affordable restaurant, and a cooperatively owned grocery store have added to the area's allure.

Sankofa Park was created out of a dusty, vacant lot to provide a green haven to area residents and visitors. Located directly behind Beauchamp Branch Public Library, the park offers an opportunity for neighbors and library patrons to read, relax, and study outdoors. As part of the districts increasingly important green initiative, lighting in and around the park utilizes LEED technology.

The Sankofa District’s continued transformation resulted from the leadership in Syracuse and Onondaga County which encouraged the development of a unique cultural area that would complement the other cultural areas throughout the city of Syracuse. The district's leaders continue to work with public and private partners across the city to attract additional development, namely those retail and restaurant businesses with high profit potential, to the area.