Remember how you felt when Barack became the first African American President of the United States?

Imagine if today, children…a Maya or a Jamaal , never knew his story. Now extend your imagination to every curious child before them who never played with toys, read books or never knew about the historical icons that reflected their humanity or identity. They wouldn’t have believed that someone who looked like them could be a president, scientist, inventor, artist or leader. Remember when you couldn’t find “black” dolls at any toy store? Most likely, that child was you.

Now Maya or Jamaal, both curious children, discover a deck of playing cards on African American history, unveiling stories of resilience and triumph. At first they play Go Fish. Then they tease each other playing Fifty Two Pick Up. They grow to play Bid Whist, Spades, Tonk or Poker. They learn to laugh, share, cuss, cry and deny with you as mentor, companion and friend.

Learning about the struggles of the civil rights movement and the achievements of trailblazing individuals, they gain empathy and solidarity. Inspired, they share their newfound knowledge with the community, organizing events to celebrate African American contributions. Through playing games, they raise awareness, promoting inclusivity and understanding. Their journeys highlight the importance of embracing African American history, not just to learn from the past, but to shape a better future for all, creating a more just and equitable society for generations to come.

Rise, you mighty people and do what you will, now that you know.

Order you deck(s) today.

Every Sankofa African American History playing card and deck are unique, hand illustrated by Greg F. Walton, a.k.a., GPapi and limited.

You can order a single deck or bundled in 5, 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 ct. packs.

We hope that you would like to learn more about the persons featured in our card decks. Their stories are inspiring, especially when you consider the times and obstacles faced by these great and powerful individuals.

We encourage you to learn more about these historic persons, so we’ve provided a link at the bottom of the page to the resources we searched in choosing our subjects.