SANKOFA NEWS
HACSA's Member-Only Newsletter


August 2020


FROM THE PRESIDENT

Welcome to the first HACSA digital newsletter, Sankofa News!  This edition heralds the exciting evolution of the Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa, into a global civil society organisation. We are pleased to announce that HACSA-USA is now operational, and HACSA-UK will also be coming soon! We have therefore changed the name of the mother organisation to the Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa Foundation or simply: HACSA Foundation. 

The timing of this new expansion and our designation as a charity in the USA could not have come at a more relevant time. The Coronavirus pandemic and the #Blacklivesmatter movement have put into sharp focus many of the issues HACSA was created to address. In response, HACSA has initiated a series of innovative and educational webinars/town hall discussions with the help of expert panelists to support the diaspora and put the multiple ongoing 2020 crises into perspective.

HACSA has come a long way since its inception in 2016! It was founded to promote and celebrate African heritage and culture and the achievements of peoples of African descent. It has created fora in which serious debates take place on how Africa can tell its own stories, develop its own narratives and harness its abundant resources for the improvement of the quality of life of its people both in Africa and the Diaspora. It has at its core the goal of reuniting the African Diaspora, empowering women and girls and linking heritage and culture with technology in Africa. One of our flagship events is the HACSA Summit which creates an African homecoming and networking experience for Africans in the diaspora and links Africanists and Africa enthusiasts with the public, private and civil society sectors in Africa. Events of 2020 have shown that the transformative and healing benefits of the work we do to link back the diaspora to the African continent is more needed than ever.

This is a newsletter developed for members of HACSA’s newly created membership organisation, the Sankofa Network. However, this maiden edition goes out free to everyone who has registered on our website for news on HACSA’s upcoming events. Please continue checking our website thehacsa.org and our social media @thehacsa for upcoming information on how to become a member of our exciting new initiative - the Sankofa Network! To show support for the important work we do please consider making a donation on our website. Donate on our US website or Donate on the HACSA Foundation website.

Thank you for your interest in HACSA. Let’s reunite and look forward to a brighter future together!

Johanna Odonkor Svanikier 
Founder, President & CEO
HACSA Foundation, HACSA-USA. 

HACSA Summit 2019

PRESS RELEASE

HACSA-USA
Receives 501(c)(3) Charitable Status

The Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa (HACSA) is pleased to announce that The Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa Inc. also known as HACSA-USA  has received a letter of determination of 501 (c) (3) status from the IRS conferring on it charitable status in the USA backdated to 2018. HACSA Inc. was registered in Maryland, USA in 2018 as a nonprofit, civil society organization with the aim of connecting the African diaspora in the United States to Africa and raise funding to support the operations, programmes and projects of HACSA, a nonprofit charity registered in Ghana. 

Read More

WEBINARS

HACSA is proud to present our new webinar series! This is a series of free innovative and educational webinars on current and relevant topics hosting panels of academics, practitioners, and experts discussing how to grapple with the current global crises and the fast-changing global environment. Topics like racism, legal and institutional reform, reunification of the diaspora, healthcare, mental trauma and healing and investment, employment, and career opportunities will be tackled. 

Systemic Racism in the Diaspora: Is this a Turning Point?

In the first episode of the HACSA Live Webinar Series, panelists tackled questions around the current global #BlackLivesMatter movement and whether or not the world has reached a turning point around issues of systemic racism. 

Watch

SAVE THE DATE
HACSA Virtual Summit 2021

The HACSA Summit 2021 goes Virtual!

HACSA Summits reunite the African diaspora and celebrate the rich history, heritage and culture of Africa and peoples of African descent. They are a unique opportunity for networking with the global diaspora and learning more about Africa. The Summits bring together heads of state, opinion leaders, practitioners, academics, students, enthusiasts and participants from Africa and the diaspora. 

The HACSA Summit 2019 was held in Ghana to coincide with Ghana’s national “Year of Return” which symbolically marked the 400 year anniversary of the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade in the United States of America. 

In the past, the HACSA Summit has included keynote speakers, panel discussions, academic presentations, exhibitions, film screenings, a remembrance and candlelight vigil, a gala dinner dance showcasing African food, fashion, and music and guided tours of key heritage sites in Ghana.

THROWBACK
August 2019: The Year of Return!

HACSA’s ground breaking 2017 Summit entitled Destination Ghana: African Diaspora Homecoming Conference, inspired the Year of Return 2019, which brought many Africans in the Diaspora home to Africa, including the African-American actress and coreographer A.J. Johnson pictured below sitting between HACSA Founder and President Ambassador Johanna Svanikier and the US Ambassador to Ghana H.E. Stephanie Sullivan. Ghanaian-British actor and producer Hugh Quarshie and his family are also pictured with other HACSA Summit participants.

The HACSA Summit 2019 symbolically commemorated 400 Years since the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade in the U.S.

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS

The HACSA Foundation is delighted to announce the birth of twins to Rose and Michael Frimpong, on Friday, 17th July 2020. Nana Afia Okyerewa was born at 7.54 am and Nana Kofi Okyere at 7.59 am. Rose is a member of HACSA’s core volunteer group and did a tremendous job at the HACSA Summit 2019, in charge of logistics.  Please join us to congratulate them and wish the newly expanded family well!
HACSA Foundation Advisory Council Member Klorkwor Okai-Mills, the talented poet who gave a powerful rendition at the HACSA Summit 2019 in memory of her late father, the legendary poet Atukwei Okai, and her husband Simon Mills have welcomed a baby girl. Laila Naa Lamiorkor Okai-Mills was born on 20th April 2020 at 4.50am in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Join us  to send our congratulations to the happy parents!
RECIPE
SOBOLO/ BISSAP

  
Cuisine: West African
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook/ Infuse time: 20 mins
Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 8 servings

Bissap is a refreshing traditional drink popular in West Africa. It is drunk on special occasions like traditional weddings and during festivals. Its deep red colour comes from the petals of the roselle hibiscus flower. It is packed with antioxidants and believed to have medicinal properties and to boost immunity.

Note: Individuals who drink herbal drinks and teas should let their doctors know, as some herbs have the potential to interact with medications.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups dried hibiscus petals
8 cups boiling water
1 cup white sugar or sweetener
5 cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh chopped or crushed ginger to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Measure the water into a large pot and bring to the boil.
  2. Turn off the heat and add the dried hibiscus petals.
  3. Stir in the sugar or sweetener to dissolve.
  4. Add cloves, cinnamon sticks, ginger, and lemon juice to taste.
  5. Steep the petals and spices for at least 20 minutes then strain with a fine-mesh sieve.
  6. Dilute to taste if necessary.
  7. Chill in the refrigerator and serve cold as a refreshing drink or warm as an infusion.
DID YOU KNOW?
Harvard University is offering 67 courses for free during this pandemic. We are particularly excited about the free courses that teach coding and web programming with Python and Javascript. Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to explore your passions and expand your skillset!