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Sankofa: Caravan to the Ancestors

The Sankofa Caravan to the ancestors  came into existence in 1997 during the National Black United Fronts   National Convention .The Caravan came about, when questions were asked about what activities would take place on the Saturday during the convention,  as always happens for the convention.

Sister Ethiopia mentioned that we could go to Galveston and take the attendees shopping.

Omowale Olanrewaju' s  immediate reply was Shopping,  don't you know the history of Galveston and African people ? Kofi retorted , no we know a little bit about Juneteenth ,, why don't you show us Omowale,  He asked that Omowale Olanrewaju go  and bring back the information.

So Omowale went to the library and began compiling information that led to a pamphlet which  told the history of African Americans in Texas and the connectivity to the Caribbean Central and South America. It spoke of Estevanico,the Moorish enslaved African explorer,  the pirate Jean Lafitte, how slaves were bartered on islands near Galveston, the market on the beach, near where the Caravan is held every year, It also spoke of how Africans in Texas were not timid that there were rebellions in Texas and  about how African people formedy their own communities after the end of chattel slavery. It spoke about prominent African-Americans in Galveston and in other parts of Texas, it was really key to speak about the other parts of America because it showed the connectivity between black people who were enslaved throughout the Americas it shows that pan africanism is natural.. when Ihe came back to NBUF with the info, read his research, He was then asked what should we do by Kofi, Taharka,  NBUF Houston Chairman.

Omowale mmediately responded, we need to go and honor the ancestors to lift up the ancestors, we could get together in a caravan and go, we should call it the Caravan to the Ancestors. I encouraged through my global outreach people from the continent and lthroughout the diaspora to come ro honor  our ancestors.

So we've had people come from all over the U.S., Canada,  from Great Britain from Africa from all over the Americas from Brazil from Venezuela from other afro Latino countries and the Caribbean. Many many people contributed in various ways including media promotions, . And spiritual leaders always did Outreach to the continent to get a reading, the Odu for each years caravan beginning with Baba Ogunda, ALAFIA  ( Ifalade),  Baba Epega and ifayomi.

Outreach was made  and honorarium paid to  bring historians, artists and others including  the star of  Sankofa, Oyafunmike Ogunlano to the Caravan one year, we also brought  her again and brought Professor Griff and the other star of Sankofa Mutabaruka. Extensive fundraising was done to insure the Caravan was strong during most years, several individuals provided hundreds, even thousands of dollars each year. The Caravan became and continues to be one of the largest African American ancestral remebrance commemorations in the United States, utilizing African spiritual rituals. It is highly recognized as a necessary Institution