African American Studies Minor:
Logo Information

Sankofa (sang-ko-fah) Bird

The center of the logo features an image of the Sankofa bird, a West African symbol featuring a bird that faces forward, but simultaneously turns its head to look back. This symbolizes the importance of remembering one's roots - in order to recapture what has been lost and thus be able to move forward.

We should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward. Whatever we have lost, forgotten, forgone, or been stripped of, can be reclaimed, revived, preserved, and perpetuated.

United States and Africa

In the AAMS logo, the Sankofa bird is facing toward a map of the U.S. , but its head is turned backward to look at a map of the African continent.

Colors

According to Wikipedia, Pan-African colors are green, gold, and red.

"These colors are now found on the flags of many African nations, and originate in Ethiopia, from where they have relevance for the Rastafari movement. They were used on many ancient African flags - most notably they were part of the bloom found on the flag of Granada, the Moorish state in Spain. The colours appear most prominently on the 1798 flag of Abyssinia, with the green at the bottom; however, they were accidentally flown upside-down on a state ceremony and the tradition was adopted by the Ethiopian government and by several African states, as well as by Pan-Africanist organizations around the world. It is now common to see these flags with green on top (or in front of) of yellow, and red at the bottom (or at the trailing edge) of the flag."

Black is also included in the AAMS logo. According to the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), the Pan-African colors are red, black, and green. The three colors represent:

• Red: the noble blood that unites all people of African ancestry;
• Black: black people whose dignity is upheld by the existence of the flag;
• Green: the abundant natural wealth of the Motherland, Africa.

Meaning

The AAMS logo represents one of the most vital aspects of the AAMS program, which is the importance of remembering the historical past in order to understand and succeed in the valuable lessons that African and African American cultures teach us today.

Designed by:  Ben Visser, December 2003 Graphic Design Major