Effective date: 21 July 2026
Sankofa respects your privacy and is committed to handling your personal information thoughtfully and responsibly.
This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through carlanacharles.com, why we collect it, how it may be used and the choices available to you.
1. Who we are
Sankofa is a journal created by Carlana Charles-McGuire in Grenada. It shares stories, conversations, questions and field notes from across the Global South.
For questions about this policy or your personal information, contact:
Email: carlana@carlanacharles.com
2. Information we collect
Information you provide
We may collect information that you voluntarily provide when you:
- Subscribe to receive letters from Sankofa.
- Complete the contact form.
- Suggest a story or person.
- Ask a question or propose a collaboration.
- Communicate with us by email.
This information may include:
- Your name.
- Your email address.
- Your country or organisation, if provided.
- The contents of your message.
- Any additional information you choose to share.
Please avoid sending sensitive personal information through the website unless it is necessary for your inquiry.
Information collected automatically
When you visit the website, our hosting provider, WordPress installation and supporting technology may collect limited technical information, including:
- Your IP address.
- Browser and device type.
- Approximate location derived from your IP address.
- Pages visited and referring pages.
- The date and time of your visit.
- Information needed to maintain the security and operation of the website.
3. How we use your information
We may use your information to:
- Respond to messages and inquiries.
- Send letters or journal updates you requested.
- Consider story suggestions, collaborations or contributions.
- Operate, protect and improve the website.
- Diagnose technical problems and prevent misuse.
- Maintain records where reasonably necessary.
- Comply with legal obligations.
Subscribing to the newsletter does not automatically enrol you in unrelated marketing.
4. Newsletter communications
If you subscribe to Letters from Sankofa, we will use your email address to send the communications you requested.
You may unsubscribe at any time by using the unsubscribe option in an email or by contacting carlana@carlanacharles.com.
Withdrawing your consent will not affect processing that took place before your request.
5. Cookies
The website may use essential cookies and similar technologies to:
- Keep the website secure.
- Support its basic operation.
- Remember necessary settings.
- Improve performance and reliability.
Third-party content embedded in the website may set its own cookies. Those providers are responsible for their respective privacy practices.
If analytics, advertising or other non-essential tracking tools are added later, this policy and the website’s consent controls should be updated before those tools are activated.
6. How information may be shared
We do not sell or rent your personal information.
Information may be shared only when reasonably necessary with:
- Website hosting and technical-support providers.
- Email or newsletter service providers.
- Security, backup and spam-prevention services.
- Professional advisers where necessary.
- Public authorities when disclosure is legally required.
Service providers should receive only the information needed to perform their functions.
7. International processing
Some technology providers may store or process information outside Grenada. Where this occurs, we will take reasonable steps to work with providers that offer appropriate privacy and security protections.
8. How long we retain information
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.
Generally:
- Newsletter information is retained until you unsubscribe or request its deletion.
- Contact messages may be retained while an inquiry, story or collaboration is being considered and for a reasonable record-keeping period afterward.
- Technical and security logs are retained according to the practices of our hosting and security providers.
- Information may be retained for longer where required by law or necessary to establish or defend legal rights.
9. Your choices and rights
Depending on the law that applies to you, you may have the right to:
- Ask whether we hold personal information about you.
- Request access to that information.
- Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Request deletion where there is no lawful reason to retain it.
- Withdraw consent to newsletter communications.
- Object to or ask us to limit certain uses of your information.
- Ask questions or raise a concern about how your information is handled.
Requests can be sent to carlana@carlanacharles.com. We may need to verify your identity before completing a request.
10. Security
We take reasonable administrative and technical measures to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure.
However, no website, email transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Please consider this before sending personal information online.
11. Third-party websites
Sankofa links to third-party websites, including Paperclip Limited and social-media platforms.
We do not control those websites and are not responsible for their content, availability or privacy practices. Please review their policies before providing personal information.
12. Children’s privacy
Sankofa is intended for a general audience and is not directed specifically to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without appropriate permission.
If you believe a child has submitted personal information, contact us so that we can review and, where appropriate, remove it.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy as the website, its services or applicable requirements change. The revised policy will be posted on this page with a new effective date.
14. Contact
For privacy questions or requests, contact:
Carlana Charles-McGuire
Email: carlana@carlanacharles.com
Location: Grenada