African-American blacksmiths in the South have long embedded West African symbolism into their craft, creating a lineage of Sankofa. This symbol, translating to “go back and fetch it,” urges us to reconnect with our past. Blacksmiths like those in New Orleans and Savannah have left their mark, crafting gates and window bars adorned with Sankofa symbols that often feature a heart with inward-spiraling coils.

Growing up between New Orleans and Savannah, I recognized the ironwork, but only in New York did I truly see it. A window with two Sankofa symbols in New York felt familiar, reminding me of home. I began to notice these symbols everywhere, sometimes painted white, sometimes with leaves or flowers, but always the familiar heart.

Understanding Sankofa through my knowledge of Adinkra symbols, I wondered if our blacksmiths were embedding reminders to not forget our heritage. Was the design more than decoration? Interviews and research with blacksmiths and scholars, along with archival digging, led me to focus on how cultural knowledge is transmitted and recognized, not just linearly.

Dr. Earnestine Jenkins, a professor of art history, explained that cultural continuity isn’t the absence of change but what persists through it. Migrants adapt, but their cultural knowledge travels with them, creating a complex web of traditions. Blacksmiths in the South have embedded this wisdom in their craft, forging a connection to the past and the present.