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The Lost TRUTH About African Masks
New: the 2nd edition of Within Carved Lines: The Secret Meanings of African Masks is out now. Get the book → From my book, Within Carved Lines Every generation of dancers was a generation of librarians Before written records, the masquerade carried the memory of a people: the names of ancestors, what they achieved,…
The Colonization of Africa and the Fall of Its Kings and Kingdoms
Introduction: The Golden Age Shattered Before the white man came, Africa was a tapestry of splendor—a continent where kings ruled with wisdom, where empires stretched across savannahs and forests, and where the rhythms of life pulsed through intricate trade routes and thriving cities. From the gold-laden courts of Ashanti to the scholarly halls of…
The 120-Year Exile: The Journey to Restore the Ngonnso, Queen Mother of the Nso People
From my book, Within Carved Lines It chose me I did not choose to be the mask guy. My background is in the church, and online I talked about careers and project management. One day I told a short story about a mask I own. It got more attention than anything I had ever…
Digitizing African Cultural Heritage: How Companies Can Fund It Without Taking It
An old man sits on a bench outside his compound. He is the last person in his village who knows the full praise poem of his lineage. It takes him almost an hour to recite. Nobody has recorded it. When he goes, it goes with him. Now think of a mask carved by his grandfather….
Scarification vs Tattoos: How African Body Marking Traditions Differ in Meaning
Scarification and tattooing look similar to outsiders but come from different roots. See how African cultures read the two traditions differently.
