The Sankofa Institute for African American Pastoral Leadership is an interdisciplinary, multidimensional academic, formation and professional leadership process for developing and supporting pastoral/church leaders committed to ministry and proclamation. All Institute programs foster an understanding and appreciation of African Americans’ contributions to Christian faith, life, and witness in North America and the world. Students enrolled in any degree programs may become a Sankofa Scholar.

Raising Up African American Pastoral Leaders

The concept of Sankofa is derived from King Adinkera of the Akan people of West Africa. SANKOFA is expressed in the Akan language as “se wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenkyi.” Literally translated it means “it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot.” SANKOFA teaches us that we must go back to our roots in order to move forward. That is, 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.

Become a Sankofa Scholar

The Sankofa Institute for African American Pastoral Leadership is committed to developing and supporting pastoral leaders, men and women of all races and backgrounds, for the African American Christian community within the context of the universal Christian mission of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Institute aims to foster within Church leaders an understanding and appreciation of African Americans’ contributions to the entirety of Christian faith, life, and witness in North America. The Sankofa Institute will provide opportunities for the intellectual, professional, and inspirational development of transformational leadership within the African American community, offered through classes, lectures, symposia, worship, leadership workshops, internships and practical field education, as well as social outreach and cultural celebrations.

Connect with the Leading Minds in Black Church Studies

The Sankofa Institute provides a pathway for students to gain cultural self-understanding of their own faith and heritage, as well as understanding how to minister in black churches and multicultural communities.

Interdisciplinary Categories

Step into the legacy of the Black Church with this high-impact survey of Christian formation. Move beyond the classroom to master the traditions that have shaped disciples from the early apostles to contemporary leaders of 2026. The course focuses on history: tracing roots of Black faith and evangelization; praxis—master methods and models for ministry; and soul: explore how spirituality and culture drive ministry that resonates today.
To lead the future church with prophetic justice, this course deconstructs power structures and centers the "powerless voices" that called nations to justice. Using Scripture as a foundational liberation tool, we transcend theory into a radical call for integrity. This course introduces biblical, theological, historical, cultural, and philosophical understandings of African American Christian/Protestant lived perspectives and peoples classified as marginalized. Moving from colonial, capitalistic, white supremacy, we interrogate ethical frameworks toward a prophetic blueprint to confront racism, economic warfare, sexuality, and oppressive politics.
This concentration helps us reclaim the scripture, as we explore the legacy and evolution of Black Biblical Interpretation. We deconstruct theological myths used to justify oppression and reveal the genius of African American biblical interpretation—from the ancient wisdom of Augustine to the enslaved’s radical liberation strategies, amid colonialism and white supremacy. We explore origins that include tracing biblical African presence, examine the rise of academic hermeneutics and social location, and Womanist interpretations and the future of Black biblical scholarship.
This concentration unveils the anatomy, history, and vibrant legacy of worship in the Black Church, from its African roots to the present. Beyond theory to transformation, we explore various church models, modes of worship, and master liturgical theology that undergirds its practices: sermon, song, and sacrament. The course includes the purpose of worship, its planning and resources, and their impact on pastoral care, nurture and community healing in the Black Church and the wider African American Religious Experience.
This concentration unleashes the sacred Black preaching tradition with voices that carry weight, history, and fire. Examining one of the most powerful oral and spiritual traditions, we engage the rich, diverse world and artistry of Black Preaching that has moved nations and sustained souls for centuries. We decode preaching brilliance, expose stereotypes toward sophisticated forms and content; explore the high-level system of work, discipline, and intellectual rigor; and explore various homiletical styles to find your authentic voice.
This advanced, interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary concentration dives into the sacred resistance that birthed Black and Womanist thought. This course invites us to decolonize our faith and reclaim our power. The liberation blueprint helps us decode methods and concepts to dismantle oppression across the African Diaspora. Globally, intersectionality reflects the vital synergy between scripture, spirituality, and keen insights of Womanist scholars amid liberation movements, to bridge the gap between the Black Church’s legacy and contemporary justice movements.
This concentration delves into the biblical imperative for forgiveness and reconciliation as central to Christian faith. We examine the crucial role and interconnectedness of forgiveness, repentance, and reconciliation within Black Church communities across personal, internal church, and public/prophetic dimensions. The theology of Bishop Desmond Tutu’s Ubuntu, rooted in African identity and practice, provides a potential framework for the forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing ministries of Black Churches in the US today.
A sociological analysis of a pivotal sector of the Black community, namely the Black churches, sects, and cults. Topics include slave religion, the founding of independent Black churches, the Black musical heritage, Voodoo, the Rastafarians, and the legacies of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. This course is taught to Vassar students and incarcerated men at the Otisville Correctional Facility.
Embark on a deep dive into the heart of African American theology. Journey through a faith of resilience—born in Africa and forged in the Americas—to trace the sacred lineage from ancient roots through the Civil Rights and Black Power movements to today’s fight for justice. Master the theology of liberation and analyze the Church’s pivotal role in the ongoing struggle for racial and social equity.