Our Story

Our journey began in 2014 as a classroom experience that brought together students, faculty, and community members on a pilgrimage to historic sites in Selma, Montgomery, Jackson, and Memphis. Guided by Civil Rights foot soldiers such as Bernard and Kate Lafayette, Bob Zellner, and Dr. Carolyn McKinstry, these early trips grounded participants in living history, truth-telling, and moral courage.

In 2019, we became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the name Project Pilgrimage. This milestone allowed us to expand access through scholarships, deepen our commitment to supporting Black-owned businesses, and intentionally connect participants with present-day organizers and activists continuing the work in their own communities.

Today, after more than 20 transformative journeys, dozens of community-centered events, and thousands of lives touched, we remain rooted in the belief that history is not behind us—it is calling us forward. At its core, our work invites people to slow down, listen deeply, and reckon honestly with the past—so they can act more courageously in the present. We continue to inspire everyday people to become everyday activists committed to collective liberation and a more just future.

The history of America resides within our collective memory through stories. Some stories that we have read or watched, others that we have only heard about. Many vital stories are hidden. For most of us, the version of American history we learn offers narratives consistently written by white people, centering white heroes. The truth is that there are a multitude of stories in our shared history and Sankofa Impact intentionally chooses to center the Black American freedom struggle.

The Black American freedom struggle begins the moment the first enslaved African touches soil in Virginia and wants to be free and that movement for liberation continues today. From our inception as a Civil Rights class with the University of Washington, we have focused on Black stories and that effort continues through our nonprofit work today. Many narratives of Black history, both traumatic and triumphant, have been either whitewashed, watered down, or entirely hidden. We find this unacceptable.

We recognize that many communities hold an endless set of profoundly important identities and that many of them experience a powerful harm in this country. Systemic racism and other forms of oppression are baked into our institutions and individuals are often tasked with overcoming challenges for simply being who they are. Our choice to focus on Black history is a strategic one that holds ourselves accountable to a set of stories that we believe are central in dismantling white supremacy. We work alongside many different communities and often that solidarity can be found in our work. We all must be free.

Our community is committed to fighting systemic oppression through the creation of collective historical memory, especially through the lens of the Black American freedom struggle. Sankofa Impact rejects the notion that centering Black history rejects other histories. We welcome all people in the timeless fight for justice and liberation. We are from different places, various class structures, education, spiritual beliefs, sexualities, genders, abilities, and we value each and every one of you committed to creating a better world.

Our Team

Felicia Ishino
Executive Director

Felicia brings over 20 years of experience in Seattle area schools, higher learning institutions, and nonprofits to her work at Sankofa Impact. She combines her loves of history, education, and social justice with her belief in the power of community. Felicia’s favorite teacher was Ms. Kim, who helped shape young minds into becoming compassionate leaders while an elementary school student at University Heights in Seattle. Felicia imagines breaking bread with Toni Morrison, over hot, buttery biscuits with jam that Morrison describes in the book, Beloved. Outside of work, Felicia enjoys discovering places to camp throughout the beautiful landscape of the Pacific Northwest, cooking for family and friends, and listening to the likes of Nina Simone, Jazmine Sullivan, Mac Miller, and Mos Def.

Nathan Bean
Program Director

Nathan wears a lot of hats for Sankofa Impact, including fundraising, programming, community relations, communications, and anything else the team might need on a given day. The goal is collective liberation and he is committed to any work that moves us closer to that goal. Nathan’s favorite teacher was Ms. Rief, who taught 8th grade Language Arts and was the first person to take his writing seriously and see him as more than just comic relief. Nathan would have liked to break bread with Otis Redding and maybe sing a duet for dessert. Outside of working hours, Nathan enjoys traveling off the beaten path, watching Boston sports, and spending quality time with his loved ones.

Board of Directors

Sasha Duttchoudhury
Board mEMBER

Sasha works in the greater Seattle community and beyond to create learning experiences at the intersection of equity and well-being using mindful compassion and playful curiosity. Their approach holds emotions, stories, and culture as critical guides in navigating change systemically, interpersonally, and internally. Sasha’s work has spanned non-profit, higher education, philanthropy, arts, and community organizing contexts, offering clients a wealth of perspectives and connections across silos and disciplines. Sasha is currently a graduate student at the University of Washington School of Social Work. 

Sharon Chism
Board Member

Sharon Chism is the Senior Manager of Corporate Services with Russell Investments. Sharon believes in the power of equity-focused community engagement. The contributions that have been most impactful to her, involve knowledge sharing and relationship building that lead to the empowerment of others. Sharon is an active member of Black Girls Run! and Leadership Tomorrow. She is also on the steering committee for Russell Investments’ Black Associate Resource Group. Sharon holds an M.B.A from Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida A&M University.  

 

Rebecca Ballweg
Board Member

Rebecca is from a farming community in the Midwest and made Seattle home in 2021. She believes in the necessity of internal reflection to challenge community structures and is energized by direct action. In her current role at Community Attributes, a Seattle-based economic consulting firm, she helps communities find pathways to grow equitably and sustainably through economic development and urban planning. In the past, she worked on public policy in Wisconsin with a focus on justice systems. Rebecca holds an MBA from University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin. She resides in White Center and enjoys skiing and board games with friends and family.

Jay Patacsil
Board Member

Jerrell (Jay) Patacsil currently works in management and strategy consulting for Boston Consulting group (BCG). He has supported businesses in many different industries from Tech to Aerospace and Defense. Prior to BCG Jay worked at AT&T as a Program Manager. In this role he supported marketing and operations for the region. Jay was a student leader for the inaugural Race, Culture, and Business trip with Foster School of Business MBAs and Sankofa Impact. Jay has an undergraduate degree in business from the University of Washington as well as MBA from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. He looks forward to leveraging all of these experiences to support the mission of Sankofa Impact.