Wrapped in Pride

Kente cloth was once only worn on special occasions. Today, it is one of the best-known African textiles and is used in many ways, from hats, ties, and bags to drums, shields, and umbrellas. The pattern has also been adopted as surface designs for everything from Band-Aids to Bible covers. Traditionally worn by royalty, Kente cloth originated among the Asante people of Ghana and the Ewe people of Ghana and Togo (men would wear the cloth as a toga, and women wore the cloth as a wrap around the body). The colors and woven designs are representative symbols of various aspects of identity, from one’s social status or connection to the ancestors. For many, Kente cloth links two continents, celebrating the cultural heritage of Africans and African Americans. In Wrapped in Pride, seven scholars walk us through an extensive examination of the history of conventional Ghanaian weaving and its impact on cultures across and beyond Africa's shore.