Sankofa Black Staff and Faculty Association
We understand that our present is the result of our past and continues to shape our future. Because of this, we value the lessons learned from our ancestors and elders to shape a world where Black people are moving toward liberation and joy.
Email us at sankofa@email.arizona.edu to join the Sankofa listserv.
Mission
The Sankofa Black Staff and Faculty Association is the Black Affinity group at the University of Arizona. We are committed to the support, encouragement, and safety of all Black people thriving as individuals and as a community. The use of the term Black is intentional, given that Blackness is a diasporic indicator of Black communities beyond geographical boundaries.
We promote and generate opportunities for growth, improvement, and networking, ensuring that Black staff, faculty, and, by extension, Black students can thrive. We seek to elevate and illuminate the contributions of the University of Arizona's staff, faculty, and students.
Sankofa (SAHN-koh-fah) is a Twi word from the Akan Tribe of Ghana that loosely translates to, “go back and get it.”
Its literal translation comes from the Akan proverb, "Se wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenkyiri," meaning, "It is not taboo to go back for what you forgot (or left behind)." Sankofa is a phrase that encourages learning from the past to inform the future, reaching back to move forward, and lifting as we climb.
From Stockton University, https://www.stockton.edu/sankofa/about.html
The primary goals of Sankofa Black Staff and Faculty Association include:
- Providing culturally empowering spaces and places for networking and community
- Exploration, advocacy, and support of those who are less protected
- Targeting professional development for career advancement
- Supporting new employee onboarding (post-docs, staff, and faculty)
- Providing support to Black students through collaboration with African American Student Affairs (AASA)
- Supporting Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs in Tucson
- Amplifying the work of Black staff and faculty
Celeste Atkins, Ph.D., Co-Chair
Director of Student Engagement and Recruitment
Graduate College Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Thomas Harris, Co-Chair
Senior Director, Inclusive Learning and Engagement
Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Paloma Boykin
Senior Academic Advisor I
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Tamara Carter
Ph.D. Student
Rhetoric, Composition, and the Teaching of English
Jennifer Chamblee
Senior Program Coordinator
Executive Associate to the Interim SVP
Research, Innovation & Impact Faculty Affairs Coordinator
DeAnna Daniels, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Africana and Religious Studies
College of Humanities
Dawn Demps, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Educational Policy Studies and Practice
College of Education
Harriett Green
Vice Dean
University Libraries
Kendrick Johnson
Academic Counselor
Arizona Athletics
Kenya Johnson
Director, Marketing & Communications
University Libraries
Sylvia Lett
Associate Clinical Professor of Law
James E. Rogers College of Law
Namoonga Mantina
Outreach Manager, Community of Outreach and Engagement
University of Arizona Cancer Center
Kelly Palmer, Ph.D., MHS
Assistant Professor, Health Promotion Sciences
Assistant Director, Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility
University of Arizona Cancer Center
Jennise Taylor
Executive Assistant
University Communications
Julie Zakari
Programs Finance & Earned Value Management
University of Arizona Space Institute
10 am-1 pm
CATalyst Studios, B254, Main Library
In-person event dates and times are coming soon!
Email us at sankofa@email.arizona.edu to join the Sankofa listserv.
The Second Annual Buffalo Soldier Make Your Mark Awards Ceremony was held on Wednesday, November 6, 2024. The award, created in 2023, honors the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers of the all-Black 10th Cavalry regiment, who were among the most loyal, decorated soldiers of their time.
The Buffalo Soldier Make Your Mark Award recognizes one staff member and one faculty member each year for their outstanding work in improving Black lives on campus.
Sankofa is proud to recognize the nominees of the 2024 Buffalo Soldier Make Your Mark Award:
- Faculty Nominee, Duane Cyrus (Director, School of Dance)
- Staff Nominee, Dr. Celeste Atkins (Director of Student Engagement and Recruitment, Graduate College and Co-Chair of Sankofa)
- Staff Nominee, Carlson Factory (Assistant Director, Information Technology)
- Staff Nominee, Thomas Harris (Senior Associate Athletics Director, Belonging and Engagement and Co-Chair of Sankofa)
- Staff Nominee Charles Walker (Coordinator, Diversity and Inclusion, CAST)
Staff Awardee, Keyshia Conner (Director, Financial Aid, Vet Med)
Faculty Awardee, Sylvia Lett (Associate Clinical Professor of Law)