As Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris spends election night at her alma mater, Howard University, join The Washington Informer across the street at Sankofa Video, Books & Cafe, 2714 Georgia Avenue NW, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., to keep up-to-date on all important election happenings near and far.
Hosted by Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes, this in-person and virtual event on Nov. 5 promises on-the-ground reporting, public perspectives, and nationwide election observations from local leaders, entrepreneurs and educators.
“On Tuesday, we will further the meaning of the word ‘Sankofa,’ meaning ‘learning from the past to inform the future,’ at Sankofa Video, Books & Cafe, where we will watch, report and amplify voices about the results of the 2024 general election,” said Rolark Barnes.
While Sankofa will serve as the publication’s election night headquarters, Informer reporters will be throughout the DMV, conducting interviews and sharing on-the-ground experiences and takes. The Informer’s Stacy M. Brown will be live at Howard University, while Sam P.K. Collins will be in Ward 8 following the D.C. Council election, and Richard D. Elliott will be in Prince George’s County watching results for Maryland’s U.S. Senate seat race.
Also hear from Sankofa’s leadership, as they share the restaurant’s story, resilience, and plans for expansion, National Newspaper Publishers Association Social Media Correspondent TotallyRandie, who met the vice president during a rally in Houston, Washington Informer Managing Editor Micha Green, and other special guests, who will weigh in on the historic moment.
In addition to hosting the event, Sankofa will also open its doors to students as the university is closed, including campus dining, on Election Day.
Shirikiana Aina Gerima, co-owner of Sankofa Video, Books & Cafe, called the store’s collaboration with The Informer a “demonstration of strength” at a time when gentrification threatens the existence of some legacy Black businesses.
Howard students and other Sankofa patrons, she said, stand to benefit from seeing and hearing Black reporters analyze the election results in real time.
“Watch parties [in the mainstream media] could be circular conversations, but with The Informer, we have the opportunity for our own critiques,” said Gerima, who co-founded Sankofa in 1998 along with her husband Haile Gerima, naming the establishment after his award-winning 1993 film. “Our own visionaries that The Informer will bring in will speak to our concerns. It’s a demonstration of the faith we have in ourselves to do this work ourselves … independently and without outside parties.”
For more information and to register for the event virtually or in person, visit washingtoninformerevents.com.