The Sankofa Bird is the symbol of the Akan proverb (of Ghana) which says, “It is no crime to go back and correct what you have not done.”

It represents the cultural recollection, remembrance, and rebuilding that takes place upon a people’s return to their roots.

Actor Ving Rhames stated it clearly: Knowing history helps history not repeat itself.

Artwork and statement by Roho Shinda, founder ofthe Afro-American Players and the Afrikan Village Cultural Center of Yakima, institutions that seek to honor and perpetuate Black cultural values.

Notes from the restoration of Millennium Plaza, 2023: 
The original Sankofa Bird was stolen from the plaza, and Roho Shinda died in 2011.  A replica of her artwork was created in 2023.