Sankofa, a Black-owned café and video bookstore located on Georgia Avenue near Howard University, is expected to expand on its cultural and literary offerings with a new second floor dedicated to film production and theater programming.
Sankofa is teaming up with Mypheduh Films Inc. to create a new space for artistic expression while also making room for new customers.
“In order to increase its local impact, the bookstore is partnering with Mypheduh Films Inc. and Sankofa Institute to expand its physical space and offerings,” Mypheduh Films Inc. said on Givebutter, a website used for fundraising.
The store first opened in 1997 and, after almost 30 years, it continues to support and celebrate Black literature and art. Sankofa also serves as a place of solace for the surrounding Howard University community.
“We provide this safe space where students can be themselves, they can study here, they can do all the things they need to do for school, or they can forget about school entirely,” manager Yonathan Mengistu said.
With plans to redesign the building’s second floor, Sankofa’s owners–Haile Gerima and Shirikiana Aina, founders of Mypheduh Films Inc–aim to expand their offerings by providing film and theater services.
“Our D.C. facility wants to redesign its second floor into a state-of-the-art film production and educational facility where it will teach classes in directing, editing, acting, production and exhibit film in all IT audio/visual formats,” Mypheduh Films Inc. said on Givebutter.
The store was named after Gerima’s 1993 film, “Sankofa,” which encourages becoming in touch with the past to inform and shape the present and future.
Decades after the film’s release and the founding of Sankofa, the mission to expand artistry influenced by people of African descent remains as strong as ever.
“With this expansion, which is hopefully nearing completion, we’re going to spread outward, we’re gonna get a little more space, and one of those spaces is gonna be dedicated to theater and a performance space for music and poetry,” Mengistu said.
Very little detail has been shared about the specific timeline of the project or the exact design of the new space.
Anticipation for this new chapter of Sankofa is shared not only by the owners and staff but also many customers.
Chariot Waddell, a freshman mechanical engineering major from Arizona said that the “vibe” of the business enticed her from the beginning. She believes the new development will add a unique element that enhances the already welcoming and artistic atmosphere.
“I think we as a community need a space that will bring people together,” Waddell said.
Jadon Ogala, a freshman mechanical engineering major from Houston, Texas, and Delta State, Nigeria, believes Sankofa will continue to grow in artistic purpose.
“Sankofa will be transformed from just a place to chill and study, to a place where more artistic expression can be seen through theater and the arts. Sankofa will continue to redefine itself as a cultural hearth for Howard and the community,” Ogala said.
Copy edited by Aniyah Genama
