FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – People of all races and backgrounds stopped by Timrod Park on Saturday afternoon to celebrate African culture for the 18th Annual Sankofa Festival.
The event was all about reconnecting with the past in order to have a prosperous future. The word “sankofa” originates from the African country Ghana. It means to “go back and fetch and bring forward.”
“The symbol is a bird that has its neck liking back with an egg in its mouth. And that symbolizes taking from the past that which is good and bringing that to the future,” explained event organizer Faida Mfomboutmoun.
The festival featured vendors with traditional African clothing and jewelry, music, and dance performances from local groups, as well as a class from a guest teacher from New York.
Brother Jerome Hunter owns LaRocque Bey School of Dance in Harlem, New York, where he teaches West African dance moves from Ghana, Senegal, and Nigeria.
“What I did was basically give them some beginning African movements, not just to move, but to bring them together and feed off of each other’s energy so they would not be nervous. I explained to them: it’s not a performance. It’s a celebration. And we’re not trying to out-do each other. We’re coming together,” he said.
The festival also served as an educational resource, a chance for artists and business owners to showcase their traditional African jewelry and clothing, and an opportunity to unite the community.
“When we come together internationally, we really can help repair a wounded nation and this is a start,” said Hunter.
Mfomboutmoun said, every year, the event draws in people of different backgrounds who want to learn more about African culture.
“We always have a diverse crowd. People come out to learn and to grow and celebrate. You’ll find people from different countries and racial backgrounds who have been to Africa and they experienced something there and they want to celebrate that here when they come back. So every year, they have a chance to come, hear the drums, see the dance, relive that experience and that culture,” she said.
The Sankofa Festival is held every year during the weekend of Independence Day.
