Ghanaian Poets, African Poetry

For my birthday weekend and the last few days of National Poetry Month, I’m raising funds to support Ghanaian Poets!

When I moved from Accra to the Bronx at the age of 12, poetry served as a tool for preserving my memories of Ghana as well as redefining my sense of home in America. Now, as a scholar-artist, my goal is to teach others how to use poetry as a tool of identity and self-expression.

In January, I collaborated with the LOATAD library to launch the Adinkra Poetry Workshop and Prize through a one-time grant received from the Mellon Foundation and the University of New Hampshire.

Adinkra symbols, created by the Ashanti people, represent various concepts and proverbs and are used to adorn cloth, pottery, and more. However, the Adinkra symbols are not just mere decorations; they have come to symbolize a movement of creative expression in Ghana. I was excited to rediscover through my doctoral research too that the symbols were transferred to the United States via enslaved Africans and were incorporated into the architecture.

The Adinkra Poetry Prize for young Ghanaian writers seeks to celebrate this movement by recognizing and promoting the work of emerging poets who incorporate Adinkra symbols into their work. One artist is chosen amongst winners and finalists to attend a four-week residency at Watermill Center in the United States. Here's a list of this year's winning poems.

During the workshop in January, I was inspired by Ethel who had traveled from the Volta region and stayed with a friend in Accra just to attend the final day of the workshop and poetry reading.

So join me in supporting the Adinkra Poetry Prize. Your contributions will not only help us recognize and promote emerging poets, but they will also help nurture a culture of creative expression in Ghana and the African Diaspora. Let's ensure that the Adinkra symbols continue to inspire generations to come.

Funds received will supplement the cost of prize money, workshop venues, and a portion of the ticket price to attend the residency. You can also support technology, books, and events space.