From The South Orange Village Center Alliance
The South Orange Village Center Alliance (SOVCA) presents Sankofa: Honoring Our Stories. “Sankofa is a word in the Akan Twi and Fante languages of Ghana, West Africa that translates to go back and get it; we cannot move forward without knowing our past,” explained South Orange resident and project lead, Catherine Mbali Green-Johnson.
Launching this month as part of the South Orange Village Black History Month Celebrations, the project shares the stories of Black residents and business owners of South Orange, past and present, to create a meaningful narrative of their experiences in and contributions to South Orange.
To bring this program to life members of the Columbia High School Black Students Union interviewed Black residents and business owners. Stories can be visited on a walking tour of downtown South Orange beginning Saturday, February 6. As more stories are recorded they will be added to the walking tour and the website BlackHistorySOVCA.com. The window displays will remain in place for 4 to 6 weeks. “We hope everyone gets a chance to come out, walk around the downtown and experience the tour,” said Julie Doran, SOVCA’s Executive Director.
The program also includes a panel discussion on The Art of Healing on Saturday, February 20, 2021 from 12p-4p and a Black Entrepreneurs Marketplace to be held in the SOPAC lobby on Saturday, February 27 from 12p-4p. Check the website soon for more details on both events.
SOVCA thanks CHS students and alumni Bahati Zuboi, Mekenna Davis, Abadai Zuboi and Nasira Greene for their time and talent, Catherine Mbali Green-Johnson for her leadership, Good Crowd Events for bringing the program to life and all of the interviewees for sharing their stories. Sankofa: Honoring Our Stories was made possible through a grant from Main Street New Jersey.
About South Orange Village Center Alliance
The South Orange Village Center Alliance (SOVCA) is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to making downtown South Orange a vibrant place to live, work and enjoy through events, beautification and advocacy for the downtown business district. SOVCA’s mission is to strengthen the vitality of the downtown business district by supporting existing businesses and attracting new ones to improve the Village’s retail mix; raising funds for improvement and public art projects; producing events that Complement existing stores and services; maintaining a clean, safe, and pedestrian-friendly downtown; and helping our governing body manage new development while preserving the attractive architectural legacy of the downtown area. The organization is run by an Executive Director and a volunteer board of directors made up of property owners, business owners, residents and other stakeholders. For more information, visit sovillagecenter.org.
