REGISTRATION OPEN: Sankofa Sisterhood turns five!

We are overjoyed to organize the 5th Annual Sankofa Sisterhood Writers Retreat to be held once again in the Catskill Mountains, NY This year’s theme is: The Writer’s Journey for Survival:   Connecting to Wellness and Moving Towards Wholeness May 24 - May 27, 2019 This past year has been filled with constant aggression towards women…

What Is Your Story? ~ Ep. 110

What is the narrative that you refuse to let go of? What have you been told about yourself that you believe to be true? What is your story? There is an old story… an old version of us that is no longer aligns with who we are today and all that we want to attract…

Why I’ve dedicated my life to serving WOC!

Why are spaces for women of color important TO ME? Because for far too long we have been left out of the narratives. In this space you are at the center of the conversation. Because without you there is NO me! Because writing is how we dig for the truth and hopefully save ourselves. Because…

#AFROLATINASTOKNOW ~ #6: Elizabeth Acevedo

  #6: Elizabeth Acevedo #AFROLATINASTOKNOW *** The next Afrolatina I am honoring is someone I had been hearing so much about over the years, yet never read her work. Then I googled her. And like any good online stalker I fell in love with her and her work. The first piece I ever heard by…

#AFROLATINASTOKNOW ~ #5: Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro

#5: Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro #AFROLATINASTOKNOW *** Yolanda Pizarro was born in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico and was raised by her grandparents. She began writing at an early age in school newsletters and newspapers and won drawing and essay competitions at the Colegio San Vicente Ferrer in Cataño. In 2004, Arroyo published her first book of short…

#AFROLATINASTOKNOW ~ #4: Edwidge Danticat

Follow The next Afrolatina is an incredible writer of Haitian descent. I include her as an Afrolatina by choice! One that there is no argument on. Edwidge Danticat and I (a writer of Dominican descent) share an island. In my life work, the Afrolatinos doc, it was/is important for us to include Haiti in the…

Balancing Vulnerability with Transformation

"African narratives in the West, they proliferate. I really don't care anymore. I'm more interested in the stories we tell about ourselves -- how as a writer, I find that African writers have always been the curators of our humanity on this continent. The question is, how do I balance narratives that are wonderful with…

You have to give everything away every single time!

Writers, we fear so many things. That we won't have what it takes. That we will run out of words. Perhaps that great idea should go in another book. "Often the writing process is filled with a sense of jeopardy because, in essence, with every book I turn myself inside out. One of the things…

What would you write if today was your last day?

There are things that will pull you back to the page by your hair… kicking and screaming. There are stories that will haunt you, excite you and demand they be told… Or why write at all? A dear friend to my family has left us… I am so sad to learn that he has left…

SANKOFA SISTERHOOD KEYNOTE

We are thrilled to introduce this year’s keynote. Alicia met Tonya at the Tengo Sed Writer’s Retreat in Costa Rica and left feeling inspired, motivated and more ready to tackle the world of fiction. MEET OUR KEYNOTE Tonya Cherie Hegamin   Tonya Cherie Hegamin is the Creative Writing Coordinator and an Assistant Professor at the…