ROOTS Week 2024! Southern Soil: Sankofa Seeds

“Go Back and Get it” ROOTS Week 2024
Theme is Southern Soil: Sankofa Seeds

As we celebrate the arrival of summer, we’re gearing up for our annual gathering! ROOTS Week takes place Tuesday, August 13 – Sunday, August 18, 2024, at Lutheridge Conference Center in Arden, NC. ROOTS Week is a time for us to come together, connect, create, and stir up beautiful energy! This year, get ready to dive into our theme: Southern Soil: Sankofa Seeds. 

ROOTS WEEK 2024 PUBLIC REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
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  • Click HERE to register WITHOUT lodging. (You WON’T stay at Lutheridge.)
  • On-Campus lodging is SOLD OUT but click HERE to sign up for the waitlist. (You want to stay at Lutheridge.)

.“Sankofa” is an Akan word from the Twi language of Ghana, meaning “Go Back and Get It.” The phrase is often accompanied by an image of a bird walking forward while looking back in the direction from which it has just come and holding an egg in its beak.

Sankofa is like a heartbeat echoing through our roots, reminding us to look back before we leap forward. Picture us like that Sankofa bird, honoring where we’ve been as we spread our wings towards a brighter tomorrow.

Join us as we go deeper into our themes:
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  • Honoring ROOTS through our connection to the US South: Let’s throw a big ol’ party for our heritage, pulling strength from the stories and traditions that make us who we are as individuals and members of a collective ROOTS story.
  • Embracing the concept of Go Back and Get It: We’re not just stepping forward, we’re reclaiming our past with every stride. Our history isn’t something to hide—it’s a part of us as we march towards justice and liberation for all.
  • Nurturing Rebirth, Renewal, and Forward Progress: The South’s fertile soil has magic in every sprout. Let’s plant our seeds of change with purpose, coaxing a future full of promise to bloom before us. Right now this is more important than ever!
  • This space is all yours to fill. What’s lighting up your creativity, artistry, or energy? Whatever it is, let it flow at this gathering. Whether it’s painting the sky or writing new poetry, this is your time to shine. Open up and allow whatever is inside to bloom.

At ROOTS Week 2024 

We’ll belt out tunes together, our voices vibrating as one with nature. We’ll swap stories and celebrate each other’s art. We’ll lead discussions, soak up wisdom, and build bridges stretching from the past, to this moment, and onward.

As we wade through the madness of so many current atrocities worldwide, let’s find the joy in our hearts and the strength in our souls – together. Come to Lutheridge and let’s sow these seeds of change and watch them grow into a glorious tomorrow.

Registration is open!

You are welcome back!

Questions? Email rootsweek@alternateroots.org

 

 

Alternate ROOTS supports the creation and presentation of original art that is rooted in communities of place, tradition or spirit. We are a group of artists and cultural organizers based in the South creating a better world together. As Alternate ROOTS, we call for social and economic justice and are working to dismantle all forms of oppression—everywhere.