What is the history of the Kente cloth?
Kente is more than just a cloth. It is an iconic visual representation of the history, philosophy, ethics, oral literature, religious belief, social values, and political thought of West Africa. Kente is exported as one of the key symbols of African heritage and pride in African ancestry throughout the diaspora.
Why is Kente cloth important to the African diaspora?
Pan-African Diaspora. As one of the prominent symbols of African arts and culture, Kente cloth has been embraced by the broader African diaspora (which means people of African descent wherever they might live.) Kente cloth is particularly popular in the United States among African-Americans and can be found on all types of clothing, accessories,…
Who are some famous people who wear Kente?
Kente cloth fabric has also become popular internationally, as celebrities such as Gwen Stefani, Solange Knowles, and the hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa have all adopted and worn the cloth at different times.
Why did the Ashanti people make Kente cloth?
Ashanti folklore includes a story where weavers invented kente by seeking to replicate the patterns of Anansi the spider. West African cultures have been weaving textiles for thousands of years.
What was the history of the Kente cloth?
Kente cloth is deeply intertwined with the history of the Ashanti nation. The Ashanti Empire or Confederacy, which was located in what is today Ghana, first emerged in West Africa during the seventeenth century. The Ashanti are members of the Akan people who speak the Akan or Ashanti dialect.
Pan-African Diaspora. As one of the prominent symbols of African arts and culture, Kente cloth has been embraced by the broader African diaspora (which means people of African descent wherever they might live.) Kente cloth is particularly popular in the United States among African-Americans and can be found on all types of clothing, accessories,…
When do people in Ghana wear Kente cloth?
Today, kente cloth is worn by community leaders and at special occasions like weddings and graduations. “There are schools in Ghana [that] produce some of the shawls worn in the United States with graduation dates or very special occasions,” says NDiaye.
Kente cloth fabric has also become popular internationally, as celebrities such as Gwen Stefani, Solange Knowles, and the hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa have all adopted and worn the cloth at different times.
