The Adinkra symbols are part of a rich African tradition dating back beyond the 17th century, and they are believed to have their origin from Gyaman - a former kingdom in today’s Ivory Coast. The stunning motifs were developed by the Asante people of Ghana, West Africa, who evolved the unique art of Adinkra printing cloths, made and used exclusively by royalty and spiritual leaders for sacred ceremonies. The meaning of each symbol derives from a proverb, history, events, human attitude, animal behavior, plants and shapes of inanimate and man-made objects. The Adinkra tradition continues to flourish in modern times and the number of symbols continues to grow. In contemporary Ghana, the symbols and their meanings are still very much used to convey a message through a wide range of products and crafts, including clothing accessories, interior design, carpentry, architure etc.

1991

THE BOOK OF KNOWING  THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF RA AND OF THE OVERTHROWING OF APEP:  THE WORDS OF NEBERTCHER (LORD OF ALL) WHICH HE SPOKE  AFTER COMING INTO BEING:    I am he who came into being in the form of the infinite power of manifestation (Khepera). I became the Creator of what came into being.  After my coming into being many were the things coming forth from my mouth (words of power). Not existed heaven (Nut), not existed earth (Geb), and creeping things in that place.  I raised them out of Nu, from the state of inactivity.  Not found I a place to stand wherein.  I was alone, for not had I spit out the form of Shu (the thermal yang principle of the world), not had I emitted Tefnut (the moisture, hydrogenoid, yin principle of the world) not existed another who worked with me.  I made a foundation by means of my will, and laid a foundation in the law (Maa), and there came into being the multitude of things.  I was alone.  I became from GOD one, Gods three, that is from out of myself were raised up Shu and Tefnut. Nu (the unmanifested undifferentiated realm) Shu and Tefnut gave birth to Seb (Geb or earth), and Nut (heaven), Seb, and Nut gave birth to Ausar, Herukhent en Maati, Set, Auset, and Nebt-Het.

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Yaa Asantewa “Queen Mother of Ejisu” (1900) Near the end of the 19th century, the British exiled King Prempeh from the hinterlands of the gold coast (present day Ghana), in an attempt to take over. By 1900, still not gaining control, the British sent a governor to the city of Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti, to demand the Golden Stool, the Ark of the covenant of the Ashanti people. The Golden Stool was the supreme symbol of the sovereignty and the independence of the Ashanti, a fierce and warlike people who inhabit dense rain forests of what is now the Central portion of Ghana. The Governor in no way understood the sacred significance of the Stool, which according to tradition, contained the soul of the Ashanti. Yaa Asantewa’s speech stirred up the men, she said “If you men will not go forward, then we the women will. I will call upon my fellow women. We will fight the white men until the last of us falls in the battlefields. The Ashantis, led by Yaa Asantewa, fought very bravely.Yaa Asantewa was present at the meeting with the governor and chiefs. When the meeting ended, and she was alone with the Ashanti Chiefs, she said, “Now I have seen that some of you fear to fight for our King. If it were in the brave days of old, the days of Osei Tutu, Okomfo Anoyke and Opulu Ware, Ashanti Chiefs would not sit down to see their King taken away without firing a shot. No white man could have dared speak to Ashanti Chiefs in the way the Governor spoke to you chiefs this morning.” The British sent 1400 soldiers with guns to Kumasi, capturing Yaa Asantewa and other leaders and sent them into exile. The war with the British started in 1805 and ended some 100 years later. Yaa Asantewa’s War was the last major war led by an African woman.

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fyeahafrica: Scenes of daily life in Djenne, Mali via nostalgerie

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ragsnrichesmedia: “Frantz Fanon (July 20, 1925 – December 6, 1961) was a French psychiatrist, philosopher, revolutionary and writer.March 5, 2004 By LS This is a very useful book to anybody interested in understanding colonialism and its effects in Africa. Colonialism was a military project, and Fanon explained that clearly. Fanon does not shy away from suggesting the use of force, if necessary , to achieved freedom. But this book is not about the use of force/ violence to achieve freedom , and should not be regarded as such. It is a book that explains western attitudes towards the colonized world , their willingness to use violence, their assault on African culture, and the curruption of African leaders after independence. Do not forget that independence came to Africa, after the French, the British and Belgians were given a clear warning about the fate that was awaiting them in other parts of Africa by the FLN (in Algeria) , the MAU MAU movement (in Kenya), and the very aggressive movement for indepence in the Congo and Ghana. Europe was severely damaged after World War II, and their armies could no longer sustain their military projects in Africa. This vulnerability was exploited by African leaders. That is why they failed in maintaining direct colonial control of their former colonies. When you ready this excellent material, you will appreciate Fanon’ s foresight: -his warning to Africans( and every colonized country) to take their destiny into their own hands: saying that every generation must out of relative obscurity, find its mission, fulfill it or betray it. A warning that most Africans ignored after independence. To anybody interested in the works of people like Dr. Walter Rodney, Aime Cesaire, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and Basil Davidson, this book is a “Must Read”. Please read other Fanon material: Toward African Revolution, Dying Colonism, Black Skin White Masks. Interesting reading ! Every African must read Fanon’ s books! ”

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jwilliamwashington: Many of the world’s diamonds are harvested using practices that exploit and degrade children, communities, the labor force, and the local environment. Workers are subject to brutality, degrading working conditions, low pay, and sometimes death. Labor abuses are built into the industry in many parts of the world, community development remains stagnant, and environmental degradation continues apace. Small-scale mining is usually an illegal activity carried out under dangerous, often unhealthy conditions, and without safety equipment, proper tools, or recognition from the state. Gender imbalances and child labor also plague the sector, which is composed of some of the poorest people in the world. Without formal training or education in their trade, small-scale miners often rely on harmful practices that can leave the earth ruined for future agricultural development. Lack of regulation, harsh labor conditions, and poor wages make child labor a regular practice in the diamond trade. Children are commonly considered an easy source of cheap labor and are often sent into small areas of mines that adults aren’t able to enter. They are often given dangerous and physically challenging tasks, such as moving earth from pits, or descending from ropes into small holes or pits where landslides may claim their lives. In Angola, a recent study found 46% of miners are under the age of 16, with many of the children working because of war, poverty, and the absence of education. And in India, where more than half of the world’s diamonds are processed, child labor is commonly used for cutting and polishing diamonds. Taken on as “apprentices,” these children suffer for years in dangerous conditions for little to no pay until they are replaced, often by younger siblings. While over half of the Congo’s foreign exchange earnings are derived from the export of diamonds, and an estimated 700,000 people dig for them, most are unregistered, and their efforts are largely unrecognized. In fact, more than 90% of the country’s $700 million in diamond exports is produced by small-scale entrepreneurs earning wages of a dollar a day - the international standard for extreme poverty. In Angola, a recent study found 46% of miners are under the age of 16, with many of the children working because of war, poverty, and the absence of education. And in India, where more than half of the world’s diamonds are processed, child labor is commonly used for cutting and polishing diamonds. Taken on as “apprentices,” these children suffer for years in dangerous conditions for little to no pay until they are replaced, often by younger siblings. In Sierra Leone, diamond-rich regions remain poor in absolute terms. Partnership Africa Canada found that Kono District, which has produced billions of dollars worth of diamonds and is home to the largest concentration of artisanal miners, has a far higher level of poverty than Pujehun District, a largely agricultural area.

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