“To gain knowledge for the future, demands wisdom of the past.”Ā Ā Ā
šWelcome to the Sankofa Newsletter Blog!Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
The word Sankofa originates from the Twi language of the Akan tribe of Ghana, West Africa. It means “go back and get it.” The Akan people believe the past and the future are eternally intertwined and any pursuit of knowledge must demonstrate this understanding.
The Sankofa Newsletter is a mini-guide to culture and news. A monthly publication that features four articles to inspire, enlighten, and stimulate intellectual curiosity. Get a free copy delivered to your email inbox today. Share, Like, Subscribe. Happy Reading! LaSheba Baker, Creator & Editor
š Note: For email subscribers, you can click the blue title at the top “Edition” to connect directly to the web blog. This may provide a better copy to read.
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Book Review by LaSheba BakerĀ
Sankofa Newsletter
National Library Week Bonus Book Review: Schomburg: The Man Who Built A Library
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*Notice: This book review contains spoilers.
Schomburg: The Man Who Built A Library by Carole Boston Weatherford and Eric Velasquez (2017, 41 pages)Ā Ā
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Ā Ā Ā Arturo Alfonso Schomburg (1874-1938) was a self-taught historian, intellectual, and a collector of Africana history books, music, and works of art. The Schomburg Center for Research in Black CultureĀ in Harlem, New York is named in his everlasting honor. Learn more about his accomplishments in Ā the book, Schomburg: The Man Who Built A Library by Carole Boston Weatherford and Eric Velasquez (2017, 41 pages). Mr. Schomburg was born on the island of Puerto Rico, an eager and bright child who was told by his fifth grade teacher: āā¦Africaās sons and daughters had no history, no heroes worth notingā¦ā(p. 2).Ā But this incorrect statement did not deter Schomburg, instead it stimulated his intellect and turned his young mind into a culture detective. He became an avid reader and often studied Benjamin Bannekerās almanac to early America.
Ā Ā Ā As a teenager he immigrated to the United States and worked in various positions: typographer and as a messenger-clerk at a law firm. All the while his search for Africana culture never ceased and his free time was spent in rare book stores and libraries. He studied the works of: Phillis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, Toussaint Louverture, and Alexander Pushkin, to name a few. This cultural dedication propelled him into the intellectual circles of the Harlem Renaissance, inspired his weekly column in the Amsterdam News, and lead to the donation of his massive Africana collection to the New York Public Library, of which he was made curator of the new Division of Negro History, Literature, and Prints.Ā A true hero for the African diaspora, Mr. Schomburgās passion and dedication is immortalized for all: āIn his quest for black glory, Arturo Schomburg navigated a maze of misinformation that stripped Africansā humanity and branded them as less to justify slavery. The system was based on skin color superiority and inferiority, and was necessary, argued aristocrats, to build fortunes and empires. Arturo suspected a conspiracy of fraud that aimed to erase all African history but bondageā¦ā(p. 18).
Ā Ā Ā This book is great for children and adults, it has a concise, informative writing style, and much realism in the illustrations. A book worthy of top-shelf status in your home library. Thank you, Mr. Schomburg and Happy National Library Week!
Hi, Iām LaSheba. The Sankofa Newsletter is a reflection of my personal and research interest in the study of culture, history, religion, sociology, and neuroscience. As an aspiring scientist, author, and life-long learner this blog serves as a resource to inspire, enlighten, and stimulate intellectual curiosity. Happy Reading!
āAnd when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions.ā -(1 Kings 10:1, KJV Holy Bible)
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