The Sankofa History Challenge is an exciting "quiz bowl" tournament that provides school-aged youth with an opportunity to publicly demonstrate their knowledge of African American history. The primary purpose of this program is to celebrate African American history month and more importantly, African American history itself. Indeed, it is impossible to fully understand the history of the United States of America without understanding the experiences and contributions of African Americans. A secondary purpose of this program is to reward students for the kind of academic preparation and teamwork that success in this event will require. In this sense, this program is about academic achievement and African American history.

Ultimately, the SANKOFA HISTORY CHALLENGE will provide communities with an opportunity to celebrate student achievement in arenas other than athletics and entertainment.