Sankofa Video Books & Cafe opened in 1998 by filmmakers and married couple Haile and Shirikiana Gerima. The name “Sankofa” is an Adrinka term for “going back to our past in order to go forward,” which was intentional given that the bookstore focuses on stories about people of African descent across the globe. The cafe helps to fund their ongoing film-making projects, many of which have been internationally acclaimed, but effectively blacklisted from U.S. distribution.
Today, the couple is finally seeing attention for their fictional and documentary films depicting the Pan-African experience, they’ve taken distribution into their own hands, and even inspired industry stars like Ava Duvernay. Located right across from Howard University, the cafe brings together students, professors, and those with a thirst for knowledge and Black history.
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