A Pilgrimage of pastors, leaders & educators
Sankofa
April 20-26, 2026
Sankofa: Journey to Harmony is an intentionally multi-ethnic, experiential journey that explores the powerful history of the Civil Rights Movement and more. “Sankofa” is a West African word that means “go back and get it.” Through holistically encountering the weight of our racialized national history, we can gain wisdom and context to carry forward into our present and future days, advancing racial harmony together. We will travel by bus to various sites in the South, watching video documentaries and discussing what we learn and experience.
GUEST FACILITATORS
This Sankofa Journey will feature special presentations by Michael Emerson and Glenn Bracey, co-authors of The Religion of Whiteness: How Racism Distorts Christian Faith. They are teaming up with Catalyst for Harmony Sankofa Leaders, who have led 20 Sankofa Journeys.
Glenn Bracey
Assistant Professor of Sociology at Villanova University
“I'm looking forward to the Sankofa Journey because I still believe the Church is the mechanism God has given us to realize His kingdom and reconcile all things to Himself. The Church is the largest, best-organized institution we have with the power to address racism in all its aspects--ideological, material, and spiritual. I look forward to connecting with siblings in Christ as we are all touched by the locations of the journey and the power of our experiences.”
Michael Emerson
Chavanne Fellow in Religion and Public Policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy
"The Sankofa experience is powerful. To travel together, experiencing and discussing issues near and dear to God is a blessing.
I am excited to be part of the experience and get to know each person on the journey as we explore what God wants us to learn and do."
WHAT TO EXPECT?
This is a unique 7-day trip for Pastors, Leaders, and Educators who have and are investing their lives in the multi-racial and biblical justice movement. Join us to network and experientially learn with other leaders, deepen your understanding of history, and gain insights into enhancing your ministry efforts.
COST | $2000 + Airfare
The trip fee includes hotel accommodations from Monday, April 20th, through the morning of Sunday, April 26th. All travel, site tickets, and meals are included beginning Tuesday morning, April 21st, through lunch on Sunday, April 26th. Hotel rooms will be double occupancy with someone of the same gender or your spouse. Single rooms are available for an additional fee; please contact andy@catalystforharmony.org for more information.
TRAVEL
Participants are responsible for their airfare and finding transportation to the site of our opening session (local church in the greater Memphis area TBD). Participants should arrange to arrive at Memphis International Airport by 6:00 PM on Monday, April 20th, to ensure sufficient time to participate in our opening session at 7:30 PM. Flight departures on Sunday, April 26th, can be booked for 5:30 PM or later. Participants will be dropped off at Memphis International Airport by 4:00 PM on April 26th. If you need to schedule your flight to depart after April 26th, you will be responsible for making and paying for your own lodging, food, and airport travel arrangements.
HOTEL
Hotel rooms will be double occupancy with someone of the same gender or your spouse. Single rooms are available for an additional fee; please contact andy@catalystforharmony.org for more information.
Participants are encouraged to join the trip with someone of a different ethnicity (not required).
TRIP FACILITATORS
Micheal Emerson
Michael Emerson is the Chavanne Fellow in Religion and Public Policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Emerson’s work has focused primarily on the intersection of religion, race, and urban contexts. Increasingly, his work focuses on religion and its public policy implications. He has published 16 books, including the seminal work Divided by Faith and, most recently, Kingdom Racial Change: Overcoming Inequality, Injustice, and Indifference. He has been featured in hundreds of media outlets, including CBS Evening News, National Public Radio, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, the New York Times, USA Today, podcasts, and Sirius XM radio.
Glenn Bracey
Glenn Bracey is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Villanova University, where his work specializes in race, religion, and social movements. Professor Bracey earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Florida, and his master’s and doctorate in Sociology from Texas A&M University. He is co-author of The Religion of Whiteness: How Racism Distorts Christian Faith. Bracey is also an award winning teacher and scholar, with publications in leading academic journals. An emerging voice on issues ranging from national politics to protests for racial justice, Bracey has appeared in numerous national media outlets, such as USA Today and Sports Illustrated.com. His current book project, Wrestling with Whiteness: Christians in the Fight Against Religionized White Supremacy, which is under contract with Oxford University Press, explores how Christians of color struggle to resist white supremacy in Christian spaces.
Sharelatha Collins
Sharleatha co-pastors Aspen Community Church, an online ministry that teaches and encourages people to fulfill their God-given purpose, with her husband, Bernie. Additionally, she serves as the Church Partnerships Facilitator at Wycliffe Bible Translators, USA. Sharleatha is a pastor’s daughter and a Chicago native with a deep-hearted passion for racial healing. She and Bernie have three grown daughters, three sons-in-law, and nine grandchildren, and reside in Saint Cloud, FL.
Andy Gray
Andy has a relentless passion for cultivating harmony in our divided communities and fractured churches. By combining compassion, truth, understanding, agility, and candor, his disarming approach to navigating complex matters has served as a catalyst to build bridges of hope, justice, and unity. After 25 years of pastoring, including 18 years as the lead pastor of a multi-ethnic church plant in Minneapolis, he founded Catalyst for Harmony. The nonprofit ministry strives to accelerate discipleship in the pursuit of racial harmony through Multi-Church Flourishing Together Cohorts, Cultural Agility Workshops, Racial Harmony Workshops, and Sankofa Pilgrimages.