Keynote speakers George Smart (USModernist) and Kofi Boone, FASLA (NC State University) were absolutely inspiring. Sharing a few words from Kofi's talk:
I was very excited to hear about your conference theme this year, and it reminded me of my time teaching an international design studio in Ghana, West Africa. Ghana--the home of many things that are tied to African American Black culture, one of them is Adinkra stamps and one of the stamped cloths that’s used particularly in ceremonies in Ghana. And one of those Adinkra symbols is called 'Sankofa,' which literally translates in Akan language as 'Go back and fetch it,' but it’s better known as 'You can’t know your future unless you know your past.'"