Sankofa in Action: Reclaiming Our Future

Authors

Adisa Preston, Macalester CollegeFollow

Abstract

Pan-Africanism has been one of the responses to the systematic and brutal efforts by colonial powers to negate the worth and humanity of African peoples. Emerging in the Caribbean and the United States in the 19th-century, it flowered with the independence movements of the 20th. Historian Kwame Anthony Appiah defines Pan-Africanism as “a political project calling for the unification of all Africans into a single African state to which those in the African diaspora can return” (Appiah 1992, 174).

Pan-Africanism sought to heal the catastrophic ruptures of slavery, throw off the shackles of colonialism, and to fight the racist ideologies that underpinned both. The leaders who shaped this movement were brilliant in their vision and determined in their execution, even as they came up against formidable, entrenched obstacles built up over resistance and oppression.

Author Biography

Adisa Preston is a passionate scholar and storyteller pursuing a dual major in American Studies and Media and Cultural Studies. With a deep interest in exploring the intersections of identity, culture, and history, her academic journey is driven by a desire to amplify underrepresented voices and uncover untold stories. With plans to continue this work after graduation, she aspires to make an impact in the media industry by creating projects that challenge perceptions, spark dialogue, and inspire change.

Recommended Citation

Preston, Adisa (2025) "Sankofa in Action: Reclaiming Our Future," Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities: Vol. 14: Iss. 1, Article 8.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/tapestries/vol14/iss1/8

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.