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A Message From Our New Board President, SeQuoia Kemp:

Tanaya laid the foundation, now we carry her vision forward with love, purpose, and the belief that our community will rise, together. Under the leadership of SeQuoia Kemp, a birth justice activist, healer, and lifelong community organizer - Café Sankofa enters a new chapter rooted in radical care, legacy, and collective liberation.

April 8th, 2025, marked one month since I was elected President of Cafe Sankofa Inc. Café Sankofa is a black-led community-owned space where healing happens. It is a sacred space where health justice, reproductive justice, healing justice, food justice, and wellness practices guide our work and commitment to uplifting Black and marginalized community members. 


The past four weeks consisted of many tears because the person who molded and shaped me for this very moment isn’t here to see our plan come to fruition. Tanaya TStar Thomas is and forever will be the heart and soul of Cafe Sankofa Inc. 

Tanaya was a community-builder, emotional and mental cheerleader, educator, fashion designer, mother, auntie, and just an overall amazing human being. I, and my fellow dedicated board members, have every intention to keep her memory alive! 


I know many of our spirits have taken a hit due to the current political climate; many are worried about the future of our beloved community. However, as I reflect on the radical history of Syracuse, NY, I am encouraged by the rich history of Black community members turning to one another for support in times of crisis. I’m reminded of the abolitionists who came together to free William “Jerry” Henry from imprisonment in the city’s police station, fondly known as the “Jerry Rescue”.  


I’m reminded of Reverend Jermaine Wesley Loguen Frasier and Harriet Tubman, who helped hundreds of our ancestors escape slavery through the Underground Railroad that passed through our city.


I’m reminded of Dr. Sarah Loguen Fraser, who was the first Black woman to graduate from Syracuse College of Medicine and, after providing medical care internationally, returned to Syracuse to mentor Black midwives. 


I’m reminded of the grassroots BLM organizers who engaged in mutual aid efforts amid the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure families did not go without groceries and essential items to protect them from such a deadly virus. Those same organizers inspired thousands of residents to come together and rally against police violence and terror. 


We have come together time and time again to resist oppression— that is the tradition of the struggle for Black liberation. So, while I am tired and even saddened by the state of the world, I am not weary. Despite all that is happening around us, we shall not be moved! 


I hope our neighbors on the Southside of Syracuse — an area heavily impacted by economic displacement — will find hope, solace, love, and freedom in Cafe Sankofa. 


I hope those who believe in our mission and vision will find it in their hearts to support Cafe Sankofa’s capital campaign to sustain our operations. I hope those whose lives have been enriched by the past and present offerings of Cafe Sankofa will share our GoFundMe along with a message to the community on how Sankofa has impacted your life personally. 


I hope you will join me in honoring Tanaya’s tenacious spirit and loving legacy by becoming a member of Cafe Sankofa and/or volunteering at our community events and programs! 


We are in precarious times, but we must not lose faith; we must love and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains. 


Call to Action:

  1. Support our newest program, Sankofa Cinema, at our first film screening of “Farming While Black” tomorrow, April 11th, 2025 6 pm - 8 pm. RSVP through an online form at https://tinyurl.com/FarmingWhileBackRSVP. 

  2. Support our Breakfast Fundraiser - April 19th, 2025, 9 am - 12 pm at 2323 South Salina Street, Syracuse, 13205 https://www.facebook.com/share/12Lh7nHu4Yr/

  3. Become a member of Cafe Sankofa via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/cafesankofacooperative/membership 

  4. Donate to our GoFundMe campaign - https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-cafe-sankofas-community-mission

  5. Submit a donation by mail - Checks can be made payable to "Cafe Sankofa, Inc." and mailed to us at 2323 S Salina St, Syracuse, NY 13205

  6. Share these fundraising opportunities with your family, friends, and colleagues whose values align with our mission


With deep love and solidarity, 

SeQuoia Kemp

Cafe Sankofa Inc. 

Board President 


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