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Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are groups of employees who join together in their workplace, based on a common characteristic like ethnicity, gender, age, religious affiliation, etc. Also referred to as fraternal or affinity organizations, ERGs provide support for their members and work to enhance career development and professional networking in the workplace. The Office of Diversity & Inclusion works closely with many of these groups, and maintains a list of UCS-ERGs on the ODI website.
Meet the NYS Courts Sankofa Society
By Daniel Paterson
Office of Diversity & Inclusion
 In September 2020, after the death of George Floyd and others by police brutality, and the racial and civil unrest in the months that followed, Lt. Eugene Hunter (Operations Supervisor for Bronx Housing Court) and Sgt. Damani Nyahuma (Queens Supreme Court, Criminal) co-founded “The Sankofa Society, NYSCO.”
Comprised of uniformed and non-uniformed personnel of the NYS Unified Court System, the Sankofa Society’s philosophy was born from the spirit of Sankofa, a Ghanaian word from the Akan tribe in Ghana, West Africa that translates to: “retrieve the best aspects of our past that have been lost, to prepare a better future.”
(left to right) Lt Niccole Burrell and Lt Gene Hunter: Sankofa Society Covid Relief Food Drive.
When founding Sankofa, Lt. Hunter and Sgt. Nyahuma mentioned concern for their fellow officers and the communities that they serve. “The Society’s mission states that: collectively, we aim to support, build and thrive as a community within the Unified Court System, while working towards a more fair and inclusive workplace for ourselves and future employees,” said Lt. Hunter. The 2020 “Report from the Special Adviser on Equal Justice in the NYS Courts” highlighted many of these concerns, including the experience of racism and unequal treatment by many employees and those who interact with the courts. In response, Sankofa has worked to give a voice to co-workers and the public at-large.
Lt. Hunter grew up in the South Bronx. After a distinguished career in the military that included service in Operation Desert Storm, Somalia, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, his commitment to “service” is clearly a part of who he is, and this service continues, in his role as a Court Officer and Supervisor.
Lt Gene Hunter and CO Rodriguez (Bronx Housing Court) collecting for the Sankofa Society’s Bronx Fire Victims Assistance Drive.
“Through Sankofa, we hope to build a bridge to connect with the communities we serve, and also fill that void of representation for officers and employees of color in the court system,” he said. The leadership positions in Sankofa, known as the “Leadership Council,” show that representation and include (in addition to Lt. Hunter and Sgt. Nyahuma): Lt. Nicole Burrell, Queens Criminal Court; and Court Officer Chanee Owens, Bronx Civil Court.
The growing membership of Sankofa now totals more than 100 uniformed and non-uniformed court personnel. This dedicated group connects with communities year-round through some amazing projects such as a Covid-Relief Food Drive, Thanksgiving Turkey Drive, Domestic Violence Awareness Month (with the NYC D-V Shelter Donation Drive), the Bronx Fire Victims Support Drive, Team Sankofa Cancer Walk, as well as webinars that are focused on mental and physical health and wellness training (ex. Black Mental Health Matters, Toxic Masculinity Hurts, and Physical Fitness and Wellness).
Kings Civil Court Officers donate during the Sankofa Society Turkey Drive.
“In order to connect with our communities, one must not preach right or wrong, but let them know that they all have choices, to think about and question how will your actions going forward be beneficial for you, to get them to think and become more involved about their lives and a better future,” Lt. Hunter said. "One of our goals through Sankofa is to create a positive message, promote cultural pride, and help to mend any negative concepts that fail to build a better community.”
“We come from greatness,” Lt. Hunter points out. “Where we come from and what we have obtained already, just imagine how much further we could go without disruption. The Sankofa Society believes that planning for a brighter future begins with honoring our past. Our mission is to educate, uplift and support our membership and the communities that we serve.”
Bronx Housing Court Officers donating for the Sankofa Society Covid Relief Food Drive.
Membership in the Sankofa Society is open to all court personnel. For more information go to: Sankofa.org.
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