In 2018, fifteen Black chaplains and religious affairs professionals gathered at Howard University to name something that had long been absent: a dedicated space where Black leaders in campus ministry could center their own experiences, share wisdom, and claim collective voice in higher education and spiritual care.

That first gathering was an act of intention—a recognition that while Black chaplains have been essential to the spiritual and emotional lives of students and campus communities for generations, the professional structures supporting chaplaincy work had not always centered Black leadership, Black theological frameworks, or the particular complexities of being a Black religious and spiritual life leader in diverse institutional contexts.

Sankofa is a national aggregation of Black religious and spiritual life leaders from college and university campuses across the United States. We represent diverse faith traditions, denominational backgrounds, and spiritual practices united by a shared commitment to Black flourishing, prophetic witness, and the significant role of chaplaincy in higher education.

Our membership includes deans of chapel, campus ministers, interfaith coordinators, and spiritual life professionals working at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), minority-serving institutions (MSIs), and historically predominantly white institutions (PWIs). We gather across all these contexts with intentionality—because the work of spiritual care looks different depending on where you are, and Black chaplains navigate distinct challenges and possibilities in each setting.

Sankofa creates space for Black chaplains to:

Connect and Build Meaningful Community: We gather annually and throughout the year—in-person and virtually—to develop relationships, share best practices, and strengthen the collective field of Black chaplaincy in higher education.

Produce Knowledge: We center Black theological traditions, Caribbean and African diasporic spiritualities, humanist frameworks, and decolonial approaches to spiritual care. Our work expands the scholarly and practical literature on chaplaincy, higher education, and spiritual leadership.

Advocate and Amplify: We highlight voices and contributions of Black religious and spiritual professionals in conversations about mental health, student belonging, social justice, service-learning, and inclusive spiritual community. 

Support and Resource: We help Black chaplains navigate the unique intersections of their identities—as Black professionals, as spiritual leaders, as witnesses to injustice—on campuses and in the field. We provide mentorship, solidarity, and frameworks for sustaining this prophetic work.

Cultivating the Future: We are intentional about cultivating the next generation of Black chaplains and religious affairs professionals, ensuring this movement grows deeper and wider.

Sankofa was formally launched on February 1, 2025, when Black chaplains gathered to adopt bylaws, articles of incorporation, and confirm elected leadership. We began with institutional partners, including Howard University, Wiley University, Fisk University, and Spelman College—institutions that understand the weight and necessity of this work.

Our founding leadership includes the visionary early work of Rev. Bernard L. Richardson, Ph.D., Dean of Chapel at Howard University, and the follow-through of Rev. Cecil Duffie, Ph.D.,  and Rev. Kanika Jones, Ph.D.

We envision a landscape of higher education where Black chaplains are recognized as essential thought leaders and practitioners; where Black wisdom traditions inform how all campuses approach spiritual care and belonging; where the work of Black chaplaincy is resourced, celebrated, and understood as prophetic witness for justice.

We gather to move forward together—drawing on the wisdom of our ancestors, the strength of our communities, and the vision of a more just world.