Known for his provocative, ‘no holds barred’ approach to telling Afrikan history and providing social commentary, poet Kofi Sankofa presents his usual frankness through fifteen moving tracks that broach a plethora of themes and social issues. From domestic abuse and female empowerment to violence and grief, Sankofa utilizes his platform to educate and challenge listeners to become captains of their own ships in order to create and sustain healthier Afrikan families and communities. “Educate to elevate,” implores the author in Woman Rise Up, a track that sheds light on the reality of domestic abuse countless black women endure in silence.
Perhaps the most moving number in this compilation, Haiti presents the history of the first independent Black republic, crediting the nation for inspiring countless slave revolts across the Caribbean while juxtaposing the current status of a country that has suffered at the hands of missionaries and corrupt leaders. Footprints of Sankofa’s Afrikan Jamaican roots permeates the Miss Lou poem has he paid tribute to the late Jamaican cultural icon whose profound influence and adoration is unmistakable as Sankofa chants, “Miss Lou, Miss Lou, mi love yuh fi true.”