The Akan symbol sankofa means retrieving what is at risk of being lost

Evidence

In the simplest of terms, it means “to go back and get it.” The majestic bird that presses forward while looking back, safeguarding and nurturing the promises of life, is both a visual and symbolic reminder. It represents the foretelling and prophetic message of the past that cries out to the present: “Never forget where you come from.” — Tamara Lanier, From These Roots, 20

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines sankofa as going back to get something at risk of being left behind.
• SEED: The sankofa framing directly frames the reparations argument the reader is tracking: she goes back to get Papa Renty’s image from Harvard.