The name Sankofa comes from the Akan people of West Africa. It names the practice of drawing from the wisdom of our past to build the future we need. Sankofa Homecoming brings that principle to life at Chickasaw Park, a historic gathering place for Louisville’s Black community, on one of the most significant days of Black freedom in American history.

The park experience features nine stations, each representing a community value: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Nia (Purpose), Elimu (Scholarship), Kuumba (Creativity), Ujima (Collective Work), Ngoma (Play), Imani (Faith), and Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics). Each station is anchored by the stories of ancestors and elders whose lives embody those values — from precolonial Africa through the present day.