Sankofa K–3 Black Heritage Collection

Sankofa K–3 is a contemporary Black heritage resource for students in primary grades. The cross-curricular content readers are designed to celebrate the inspiring and complex histories, stories, and cultural legacies of Black Canadians and people of the African diaspora.

  • All 16 titles are written and reviewed by Black Canadian authors and consultants.
  • Comprehensive teaching notes support culturally responsive pedagogy to help educators create inclusive, affirming classrooms.
  • Non-fiction selections build essential background knowledge that deepens student understanding.
  • All student books and teacher’s guides are available in both print and digital formats.
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Supporting Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy

Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy (CRRP) in Sankofa K–3:

  • Helps educators create identity-affirming environments that reflect and value the lived experiences of all students.
  • Equips educators with embedded professional learning and a CRRP-aligned Teacher Tool Kit to support reflection, instruction, and equity-focused school improvement.
  • Positions students as active agents in their learning and recognizes families and communities as learning partners.
  • Explores an aspect of Ubuntu in each grade-level title, encouraging students to examine relationships, community, environment, and identity & belonging.
  • Strengthens students’ understanding of the perspectives and contributions of diverse Black communities in Canada.


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Sankofa K–3 Features

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Virtual Tour
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Using Sankofa K–3 in Your Classroom

Sankofa K–3 can be used flexibly — as a read-aloud, shared reading, scaffolded small-group text, or for partner reading. The series:

  • Includes diverse text types and genres to help students identify and analyze text structures and features.
  • Develops literacy skills by supporting growth in oral language, vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension.
  • “Think About It” and “Connect It” activities promote deep thinking by activating prior knowledge to build comprehension.
  • Includes interactive tools—bookmarking, highlighting, notes, annotation—to support comprehension and citing evidence.

Free Sample Lessons

We recognize your dedication to providing students with opportunities to explore and value their cultures while fostering a sense of community and relationships. To support you in this important work, we are offering free access to two books from our Sankofa Black Heritage Collection along with lesson slides to help you build community and create positive conditions for learning in your classroom throughout the school year.



Virtual Tour
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Series Consultant

Darcie Sutherland

Darcie Sutherland is the former Principal of Inclusive School and Community Services: Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Strategy in the York Region District School Board. She was responsible for coordinating the implementation of the York Region District School Board’s Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Strategy. A significant part of the role included supporting all YRDSB staff in acquiring the racial literacy skills needed to recognize, discuss, dismantle, and disrupt racist ideologies that perpetuate the disparities that Black students face.

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Review Pannel

  • Racquel Brown (PDSB, ON) COORDINATOR, Literacy
    Racquel Brown is Literacy Coordinator at Peel District School Board and an experienced educator with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education from Redeemer University College. She is the founder of the Empower & Equip ministry initiative, which aims to provide churches and parents with the tools they need to be a positive guiding force in the lives of children and youth.
  • Matthew Webbe (SCDSB, ON) Superintendent of Education

    Matthew Webbe is an Afro-Latinx Caribbean educator, currently a Superintendent of Education K-12, who is also the superintendent of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Multilingual Learning. As a child of Caribbean immigrants who came to Canada in the 1960s, Matthew has consistently advocated for students and believes in putting the needs of children first. As a former teacher and school administrator in the Toronto District School Board and a former community services worker, Matthew has worked in Parkdale, Church/Wellesley, Regent Park, Malvern, Kingston Rd-Galloway, St Jamestown and the St. Lawrence areas of Toronto. Matthew wants to ensure diverse students see their identities, histories, lived experiences, and voices noted in the Ontario curriculum. Matthew is an avid advocate for human rights, social justice, diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-oppression, and is committed to fighting for systemic change within Ontario education and the social services fields. Matthew is now a superintendent of education at the Simcoe County District School Board.

  • Maureen Kassy (Ecole du Park, SK) Elementary Teacher
    Maureen Kassy is an elementary school teacher at L’école du Parc in Regina, Saskatchewan.
  • George McAuley (LDCSB, ON) Teacher
    George McAuley is an Ontario educator with more than 20 years of teaching experience in the classroom. Committed to social justice and removing barriers that limit the potential of marginalized people, George has served as the Coordinator of Anti-Racism Education and high school mathematics and science at the LDCSB (London District Catholic School Board).
    A graduate of Western University, having earned a BSc (Mathematics), BEd, and MEd (Anti-Racism Education), George continues his work as an administrator with the LDCSB, with a focus on culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy and culture shift at the system level. As a proud father and Juno-nominated recording artist with interests in music, sports, and reading, George’s social justice passion extends beyond the education sector.
  • Linette Ballantyne (TDSB, ON) Elementary Teacher
    Linette Ballantyne is a teacher and former guidance counsellor and learning coach. She has presented a talk for the Toronto District School Board’s “Unleashing Learning” conference at the Canadian National Exhibition 2023, which covered the topic of Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s “Five Pursuits” guide for teaching. She was also an early supporter and mentor in the Toronto District School Board’s 2010 initiative “Young Women on the Move,” a mentorship program that connected female students with teachers. Linette is currently an elementary school teacher with the Toronto District School Board.
  • Wendie Wilson (NS Teachers Union, NS) Executive Staff Officer BIPOC Engagement and Advocacy
    Wendie Wilson is Executive Staff Officer – BIPOC Engagement and Advocacy with the Nova Scotia Teachers Union. She is a mother, educator, artist, writer, and community advocate with a Master of Education, specializing in Africentric Leadership, from Mount Saint Vincent University. Wendie is a member of the African Nova Scotian and Black Food Sovereignty working group for the Halifax region’s JustFOOD Action Plan, an initiative working to effect positive food system change. An active visual artist, she designed the African Nova Scotian flag to represent the culture and heritage of her community.
  • Cicely Belle Blain (BC) Writer, Activist
    Cicely Belle Blain is a community speaker, activist, author, and consultant. They are dedicated to combatting oppression and opening up dialogue about the importance of shared community. Cicely Belle has a Bachelor of Arts in Russian, Central European, East European, and Eurasian Studies from the University of British Columbia, as well as a Certificate in New Media Journalism from Simon Fraser University.
    They have received literary accolades for their poetry collection, Burning Sugar, and have made notable contributions to the community through developing an Intersectionality Toolkit for the city of Vancouver. Cicely Belle is the founder of the Vancouver chapter of Black Lives Matter and the founder and CEO of Bakau Consulting Inc., an organization that specializes in intersectional, anti-racist, and liberation-oriented consulting. In addition to running Bakau Consulting, Cicely Belle is an instructor in Executive Leadership at Simon Fraser University, a board member with the Tegan and Sara Foundation, and the Editorial Director at Ripple of Change magazine.
  • Jessica Amadi (RCSB, SK) Teacher, VP of Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan
    Jessica Amadi is a French Immersion teacher, education researcher, and community leader. She is passionate about raising marginalized voices and cultivating culturally inclusive student experiences through projects such as the annual creation of a Black history mural at her school. Jessica has a Bachelor of Arts in French and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Regina.
    She has participated in a Black in Saskatchewan panel communicating her experiences as a Black K–12 educator in Saskatchewan and is an active advocate for change through being a vocal and present supporter of Black Lives Matter. Jessica is currently a teacher with Regina Catholic School Board and the Vice President of the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan, a cross-cultural not-for-profit organization that addresses and work toward cultural diversity and building anti-racist communities.
  • Karen Murray (TDSB, ON) System Superintendent for Equity, Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression
    Karen Murray is System Superintendent, Equity, Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppression at the Toronto District School Board, where she oversees the Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement. She is a dedicated, equitable leader and activist focused on supporting and improving the learning and development of young people.
    As an international speaker, lecturer and presenter, she works with educators, superintendents, and administrators to foster greater understanding of equity, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and anti-Black racism. Karen is an honours graduate of York University’s Urban Diversity, Faculty of Education Program and received York University’s Teacher of Excellence award in 2006.
  • Tenisha Inengi (SK) Board of Directors, Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan
    Tenisha Inengi is an experienced insurance analyst and community organizer. She focuses on the importance of inclusive environments and removing as many barriers as possible for marginalized youth. Tenisha has a bachelor’s degree in economics and a Diploma in Business Administration and Management from the University of Regina.
    She is currently the Secretary for the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan as well as an Operations Analyst with Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI).
  • Sarah Adomako-Ansah (ECSD, AB) Educator and EDIAR Consultant
    Sarah Adomako‐Ansah is an experienced educator with a passion for diversity, leadership, representation, and technology. She has a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta and taught grades three to six for eight years. Sarah co-founded the Black Teachers Association in 2020 to help teachers to best support their students at the height of the pandemic and joined the board of The Black Bookshelf Project with the goal of bringing more representation into classrooms.
    From 2021 to 2023, she was Teacher in Residence at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Sarah is currently the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Consultant for the Edmonton Catholic Schools Division.
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