A transformative trip to Ghana in December 2022 sparked the idea to develop a blog interview series that uplifts and promotes the social impact endeavors of kinfolk across Ghana. As a communal people concerned with the wellbeing of the collective, Ghanaians have a sense of purpose that extends beyond the commonplace "rugged individualism" that limits America’s prosperity and possibilities.
During my sophomore year at Wheaton College, Professor Dolita Cathcart taught a course called “Africans on Africa.” The course explored European colonization of the continent through literature written by Africans. Up to that point, I had never heard of Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian novelist who wrote Things Fall Apart, or been exposed to the truths in Leon E. Clark’s Through African Eyes: The Past, The Road to Independence (Volume 1).
Photo Credit: Lucas Henry (www.lucashenryimage.com)
The course exposed me to the history of the African continent prior to colonization, during colonization and through the postcolonial period to the present with uniquely African perspectives. There was no white gaze. The insights were first person and unfiltered; the course was life changing and identity affirming.
Visiting Elmina Castle in Cape Coast unlocked a waterfall of reminders of the untold stories locked at that historical site of torture. Those dungeon walls hold secrets. The brick floors hold generations of human feces and blood. And yet, my ancestors made a way out of no way. Visiting Ghana reminded me that I am a miracle and my relatives all over the continent are also miracles. While the Western world continues to extract and exploit Africa’s natural resources, this blog is a testament to the beauty, wisdom and creativity of people shaping and designing their lives through arts, science, culture, and social entrepreneurship.
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