Sankofa Rising!
The Journey from a Moment to a Movement
May 26 and May 27, 2021 | 4-6pm EST
Sankofa is the word in the Akan and Fante languages of Ghana which means “go back and get what is at risk of being left behind.” COSEBOC uses this concept of learning from the past to inform the future in many of its youth courses, like Young Men’s Passage, our coming-of-age program. This meaning also bears truth for COSEBOC’s 15th Annual Gathering.
The theme, Sankofa Rising! The Journey from a Moment to a Movement will provide a forum for friends and supporters of COSEBOC to join with us in looking over our history, in meditating on what has passed, and in informing our future purpose through that lens. This, in turn, will support our mission to affirm and inspire all who are dedicated to the success of boys and young men of color.
We hope you will join us! Please register today. For more info, please contact Christine McDermott, cmcdermott@coseboc.org or 617-327-3378.
On May 26 and 27, 2021, the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color will celebrate a significant moment in our history. This year is the 15th anniversary of our signature Gathering of Leaders. Now is a perfect time to reflect on our passage and progress over the years and on how our achievements can affect the future from now on.
COSEBOC was officially born in 2006. Our first convening at Wheelock College hosted 50 men and women committed to the idea that every Black male student possessed genius. Later, we expanded our reach to fulfill the spirit and intent of our name, the education of boys and young men of color. Over the years, there have been many noteworthy moments in the life of COSEBOC, but our fundamental mission to disrupt the narrative of negativity which hovers over boys and young men of color is an imperative that has remained unchanged.
There is much more to the COSEBOC story, including the names of key individuals and organizations that were by our side as we began to chart our national course. On May 26 and 27, you will see the faces and hear the voices of several of the national experts and trailblazers who took centerstage over the years at the COSEBOC Gathering. Without them, we would not be here to serve.
Although the 15th Anniversary of the Gathering of Leaders is in virtual format because of the ongoing pandemic, its theme, Sankofa Rising! The Journey from a Moment to a Movement, will still provide those who attend the opportunity and the space to look back in the spirit of Sankofa. You will have time to revisit the moments that led to the movement; these memories will become the lens through which we look forward to plan a future that is filled with spaces which create rich and vibrant learning experiences for boys and young men of color.
See you virtually on May 26 and 27, 2021.
Respectfully,
Ronald Walker, Executive Director