The loss of the knowledge of who we were, and the societies that we were a part of, has left us crippled and deprived in many ways. We have fought through slavery and Jim Crow era terrorism, to prove to ‘White’ America that we were just like them. No different than them. Therefore worthy of equal treatment. These efforts helped to ensure our survival and were defining of our progress. But while fighting to become accepted, we lessened the importance of learning who we were. We ceased to place value on knowledge of our ancestral culture and the continuation of its practice.
Fante Performers 1910 - courtesy Smithonian Institution Archives
Today, many believe that a cause for the most devastating ailments that plague our lives and our communities is the adherence to this false understanding of who we are. Our ignorance of our legacy and heritage as Africans fosters low self-esteem, and continually sabotages the growth and development of our families, communities and societies. The remedy for these ailments resides in the restoration of African cultural practices and values in the African-American community. I am committed to this goal.
A part of this restoration lies in how we dress and adorn our homes. We are a beautiful people and it is important that we allow our identity to shine as we move about our communities from day-to-day, on special occasions, and as we display within our homes, that which we believe to be important.
In my decades of travel to Ghana, I have had the pleasure of amassing a collection of African clothes and artifacts. An assortment of these items can be found at www.AfricanLegacyShoppe.com. I invite you to peruse our collection of cultural items and to share our site with your friends and family. I also invite your feedback on this blog. Through our collective efforts towards re-establishing African culture in the daily lives of African-Americans, we do and will shine and create improvements in all facets of our existence. I hope that you will join me in this promotion.