R.J. Harper

Model: R.J. Harper for @harlemsheavenhats and milliner: Evetta Petty. The primary visual emblem associated with the African Burial Ground National Monument in Lower Manhattan (NYC) is the Sankofa, a heart-shaped West African Adinkra symbol.

• Design: A heart-shaped silhouette featuring sweeping interior and exterior spirals (derived from the Akan people of Ghana).
• Meaning: Translates to “learn from the past to prepare for the future” (or returning to one’s history to extract lessons).
• Placement: Carved prominently into the exterior and interior stone walls of the 24-foot Ancestral Chamber and used widely across official National Park Service and African Burial Ground Memorial Foundation materials.