About Sankofa Summer School
The Afrocentric Approach
Dr. Molefi K. Asante developed Afrocentricity as a theoretical framework in the 1980s. Since then, brilliant scholars have expanded the Afrocentric paradigm, giving us a template to guide our educational praxis. Simply, being Afrocentric means centering Africana people in their own narratives and making them the subjects, not the objects of other people’s stories. For most of us, our learning experiences have been primarily Eurocentric. We learn that European ways of knowing and being are the best and universally applicable. Afrocentricity challenges this notion of European/ white supremacy and encourages us to center ourselves, as Africana people, first and foremost.
Sankofa Summer School was founded in 2020 by Dr. Michelle B. Taylor. Using an Afrocentric approach, Sankofa Summer School is a series of classes and workshops designed to educate people about the lives and work of people of the African Diaspora. Participants also have opportunities to engage in the development of life skills through programming rooted in Afrocentric principles and values. The school runs during the summer months and students are encouraged to set aside time for their enlightenment and the opportunity to build community with new people.
The Curriculum
Each year, the curriculum will change, as we will bring on diverse voices and invite different people to share their knowledge. A few things will remain true:
The instructors will always be people of the African Diaspora and they will proudly identify as such without quiver or qualm;
The topics will always center on people of the African Diaspora;
The workshops will not rely on the work of non-African people to substantiate it. Everything taught will be about us, from us, and for our people’s liberation
Programming is open to people of all cultures, backgrounds, and identities.
About Our Founder
Michelle B. Taylor, Ph.D.
Dr. Taylor holds a Ph.D. in Africology & African American Studies from Temple University. She obtained her M.S.W. in Organizational Leadership and Management from CUNY - Hunter College (Silberman School of Social Work). Her B.A. is in African American Studies and Sociology of Deviance & Law from the University of Pennsylvania. She is also certified in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies (Temple), Executive Leadership in Social Impact Strategy (UPenn), and Online Teaching (Temple).
As an educator, writer, public speaker, community activist, and social worker, Dr. Taylor is passionate about education, advocacy, and social justice. She is an award-winning writer and the author of the critically acclaimed Reclaiming Our Space: How Black Feminists Are Changing the World From the Tweets to the Streets (Beacon, 2019). Drawing largely from her lived experiences, her work as a public speaker and facilitator centers around diversity, inclusion, equity, organizational culture, diversity in media representations, LGBTQ+ identity and advocacy, race, class, and culture, intersectionality, mental health, and social work. As a professor, her courses have included “The African American LGBTQ Experience”, “Mass Media and The Black Community”, “The Black Woman”, and “The History and Significance of Race in America”.
Dr. Taylor’s passion and talent for writing have led to her being featured in several publications, including The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, Essence, Out, Complex, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and EBONY magazine.. Because of her work as an activist, Dr. Taylor has been extensively featured in publications around the world, including The Boston Globe, Detroit Free Press, The Guardian, Ms., The New York Times, NBC News, Newsweek, NPR, The Washington Post, USA Today and The Intercept.
In 2017, Dr. Taylor was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Philadelphia by Philadelphia magazine, and in 2018, she was featured in Philadelphia Style magazine for her community advocacy and activism. In 2020, Dr. Taylor was named one of the "Bitch 50", honoring the work of feminist women around the world, and one of the 76 Most Influential People in Philadelphia.
In 2022, Sankofa Summer School was featured in Philadelphia Style magazine when Dr. Taylor was named one of “16 Philadelphia Innovators to Know”. She is also featured in New York Times Best-Selling author Ijeoma Oluo’s book, Be A Revolution, for her work in creating and leading Sankofa Summer School. Having gone ‘from poverty to Ph.D.’, Dr. Taylor has devoted her life to helping marginalized people achieve liberation through education, community-building, and self-advocacy.
A fierce advocate for Black women and girls, Dr. Taylor is also co-creator and co-host of Black Girl Missing, a multi-season podcast dedicated to sharing stories of African American girls who have gone missing while under the age of 18.