HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE GOLDEN STOOL OF THE ASHANTI KINGDOM ?

The Golden Stool (full title, Sika Dwa Kofi) has been the symbol of power in Ashanti Kingdom since the 17th century. According to oral tradition, Okomfo Anokye, a High Priest and one of the two founders of the Ashanti Confederacy, conjured the Golden Stool, decorated with golden bells and fetters, and caused it to descend from the sky where it landed at the feet of Osei Tutu I, the first Asantehene (King) of Ashanti.  Beginning with Osei Tutu I, the Ashanti have believed that the Golden Stool houses the soul of the Ashanti nation.

The Stool, made of gold, stands 18 inches high, 24 inches long, and 12 inches wide. It was never allowed to touch the ground and was considered so sacred that no one was allowed to sit on it. Each new Ashante king is lowered and raised over the Golden Stool without touching it.  No one could be considered a legitimate ruler without the Golden Stool, which usually occupied its own throne next to the Asantehene.

The Ashanti maintained the Golden Stool as their most prized possession. Before they went to war, their war chiefs consulted it. As time progressed and as the Ashanti scored more victories over their rivals, turning their kingdom into an empire, the Golden Stool became even more revered.

By the 19th Century, the Ashanti began a series of clashes with the British Empire which had established effective control of the coastal region of what is now Ghana. They fought three Anglo-Ashanti Wars between 1824 and 1874, with the British and their African allies gaining more control over Ashanti Territory.  During the fourth Anglo-Ashanti War, the British and their Indian and African allies defeated Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh, eventually capturing him and sending him into exile in the SeychellesIslands.

The final war (1900), essentially a rebellion led by Yaa Asantewaa, the Queen Mother and Gate Keeper of the Golden Stool, was prompted by the demand by Sir Frederick Mitchell Hodgson, the British Governor of the Gold Coast to sit on the Golden Stool. With his remark, Yaa Asantewaa led a rebellion called the Word of the Golden Stool which began on March 28, 1900.  The intense fighting led to the death of more than 2,000 Ashanti and 1,000 British and Allied troops.  Both totals were higher than the deaths from all previous Anglo-Ashanti wars combined. The war ended, however, after six months.

Yaa Asantewaa was captured by the British in 1901 and quickly exiled to the Seychelles, where she died in 1921, but the British  never captured the Golden Stool.  Hidden by the Ashanti, it was discovered by a group of African railroad builders in 1920.  They stripped it of its gold ornaments and were tried by the Ashanti and sentenced to death.  British colonial authorities intervened, however, and they were exiled from the Gold Coast Colony.

After ealizing the importance of the Golden Stool to the Ashanti, the British gave assurances that they would never interfere with it again.  Restored to its ceremonial place, the Golden Stool continues to be used in rituals crowning the Asantehene, although he is now considered a traditional ruler without political power or influence.  Nonetheless, the Golden Stool remains a cherished symbol of the former Ashanti Empire.

SOURCE – BLACKPAST.ORG

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ROLE MODEL OF THE WEEK, KINGSLEY ONYE- AWARD WINNING PUBLISHER, AUTHOR AND LAWYER

KINGSLEY ONYE IS A BRITISH LAWYER,MULIT -AWARDS PUBLISHER,AUTHOR AND WRITER. HE IS A MEMBER OF THE WRITERS GUILD OF BRITAIN & NORTHERN IRELAND. HE IS A SEASONED MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER AND SPONSOR.

HE COMBINES HIS PASSION FOR WRITING AND LEGAL PROFESSION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. HIS CHARITY WORKS INCLUDES FREE DONATIONS OF HIS BOOKS TO NIGERIAN SCHOOLS TO REACH THE LESS PRIVILEGED. CURRENTLY HE VISITS SCHOOLS ACROSS ENGLAND AND WALES MOTIVATING YOUTHS AND CHILDREN ENCOURAGING THEM TO CHART A BETTER COURSE IN LIFE FOR THEIR FUTURE AND WORK HARD TO SUCCEED. HE FROWNS AT THE SILLINESS OF GUN AND KNIFE CRIME IN LONDON AREAS AND OTHER CITIES.

HE WANTS THE YOUTH TO BE MORE ENGAGED IN PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES THAT IS SUSTAINABLE FOR THE FUTURE. HE ALSO CARRIES THIS MESSAGE TO NIGERIAN YOUTHS ACROSS THE WORLD ESPECIALLY IN NIGERIA HIS MOTHER LAND. ONYE KINGSLEYBOOKS IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON, BARNS& NOBLES AND OTHER MAJOR ONLINE BOOKSELLERS ACROSS THE WORLD!

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT YAA ASANTEWAA (QUEEN MOTHER) OF THE ASHANTI KINGDOM

Yaa Asantewaa was an influential Ashanti queen at the beginning of the twentieth century who remains a powerful symbol today. Her birthdate is contested; she is generally believed to be born between the 1840s to 1860s in the Ashanti Confederacy in present-day Ghana. She was a skilled farmer before ascending to the title Queen Mother in the 1880s. It is believed that she was chosen for this title due to the matrilineal aspect of the Ashanti culture and that her elder brother Nana Akwasi Afrane Okpase, who was a powerful ruler at the time, appointed her to the role.

 

As the Queen Mother, Asantewaa held many responsibilities, including being the Gatekeeper of the Golden Stool. The Golden Stool is an emblem of the Ashanti kingdom, cultural system, and power. Since the Queen Mother is elected to be the mother of the reigning king, she present candidates for when the occupant of the Stool (the chiefdom) becomes vacant, in turn protecting the establishment of authority. Additionally, since the Queen Mother is the main adviser for the King, and thus is the second highest position within the empire, she fulfills the role of guarding the Golden Stool.

In 1896, the Ashanti peoples began to rebel against the British presence in their lands and the British attempt to construct the “Gold Coast” colony. To retaliate, the British captured and exiled Asantehene Prempeh I, King of the Ashanti, and Asantewaa’s grandson Kofi Tene, who was also a powerful leader. The British removed the king and other Ashanti leaders to the Seychelles Islands in an effort to acquire the Golden Stool.

While remaining leaders within the community debated on how to best respond to the British threat, Asantewaa held her ground and rallied the troops. Her leadership and passion led to her role as Commander in Chief of the Ashanti army. In turn, the Anglo-Ashanti wars’ fifth and final war against the British became known as the Yaa Asantewaa War of Independence (or the War of the Golden Stool), which began on March 28, 1900.

That conflict began when British representative Sr. Frederick Mitchell Hodgson sat on the Golden Stool.  Since the Stool was not a throne, when Hodgson’s act became known, Yaa Asantewaa led the rebellion which resulted in the death of 1,000 British and allied African soldiers and 2,000 Ashanti.  Both totals were higher that the deaths from all previous wars between the Ashanti and the British combined.

To inspire the leaders of her community, Asantewaa proclaimed that if the men of the kingdom would not defend the people, then the women would rise to the challenge. This both invigorated the men and challenged traditional gender roles. She led the rebellion and became an image of strength and resistance. Unfortunately, she was captured during the rebellion and exiled to Seychelles, where she died in 1921.

Yaa Asantewaa remains a powerful reminder due to her impactful actions in both empowering her people and in tactics against the British army. In August 2000, to commemorate her influence, a museum was opened in her honor in the Ejisu-Juaben District of Ghana. Similarly, there is an achievement award titled the “Nana Yaa Asantewaa Awards” (NYA) which honors women who uphold the values and leadership of Asantewaa.

 

SOURCE   blackpast.org

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT YAA ASANTEWAA (QUENN MOTHER) IF THE ASHANTI KINGDOM

Yaa Asantewaa was an influential Ashanti queen at the beginning of the twentieth century who remains a powerful symbol today. Her birthdate is contested; she is generally believed to be born between the 1840s to 1860s in the Ashanti Confederacy in present-day Ghana. She was a skilled farmer before ascending to the title Queen Mother in the 1880s. It is believed that she was chosen for this title due to the matrilineal aspect of the Ashanti culture and that her elder brother Nana Akwasi Afrane Okpase, who was a powerful ruler at the time, appointed her to the role.

As the Queen Mother, Asantewaa held many responsibilities, including being the Gatekeeper of the Golden Stool. The Golden Stool is an emblem of the Ashanti kingdom, cultural system, and power. Since the Queen Mother is elected to be the mother of the reigning king, she present candidates for when the occupant of the Stool (the chiefdom) becomes vacant, in turn protecting the establishment of authority. Additionally, since the Queen Mother is the main adviser for the King, and thus is the second highest position within the empire, she fulfills the role of guarding the Golden Stool.

 

In 1896, the Ashanti peoples began to rebel against the British presence in their lands and the British attempt to construct the “Gold Coast” colony. To retaliate, the British captured and exiled Asantehene Prempeh I, King of the Ashanti, and Asantewaa’s grandson Kofi Tene, who was also a powerful leader. The British removed the king and other Ashanti leaders to the Seychelles Islands in an effort to acquire the Golden Stool.

While remaining leaders within the community debated on how to best respond to the British threat, Asantewaa held her ground and rallied the troops. Her leadership and passion led to her role as Commander in Chief of the Ashanti army. In turn, the Anglo-Ashanti wars’ fifth and final war against the British became known as the Yaa Asantewaa War of Independence (or the War of the Golden Stool), which began on March 28, 1900.

That conflict began when British representative Sr. Frederick Mitchell Hodgson sat on the Golden Stool.  Since the Stool was not a throne, when Hodgson’s act became known, Yaa Asantewaa led the rebellion which resulted in the death of 1,000 British and allied African soldiers and 2,000 Ashanti.  Both totals were higher that the deaths from all previous wars between the Ashanti and the British combined.

To inspire the leaders of her community, Asantewaa proclaimed that if the men of the kingdom would not defend the people, then the women would rise to the challenge. This both invigorated the men and challenged traditional gender roles. She led the rebellion and became an image of strength and resistance. Unfortunately, she was captured during the rebellion and exiled to Seychelles, where she died in 1921.

Yaa Asantewaa remains a powerful reminder due to her impactful actions in both empowering her people and in tactics against the British army. In August 2000, to commemorate her influence, a museum was opened in her honor in the Ejisu-Juaben District of Ghana. Similarly, there is an achievement award titled the “Nana Yaa Asantewaa Awards” (NYA) which honors women who uphold the values and leadership of Asantewaa.

 

SOURCE   blackpast.org

THE AMAZING SUPER FALCONS OF NIGERIA QUALIFY FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF THE WORLD CUP

Nigeria’s Super Falcons qualified for the last 16 rounds of the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup on Thursday night, without kicking a ball. However, the 11-time African champions claimed the last third- best placed team after Chile could only beat Thailand 2-0, a result that saw the South American nation bow out of the tournament

SOURCE  legit.ng

IGBO FESTIVAL OF ARTS & CULTURE TAKES PLACE NEXT MONTH IN LONDON

The Igbo Festival of Arts and Culture have been running for 6 years in the UK and it is a free event for the British community to appreciate the rich culture and tradition of the Igbo people of West Africa. This event is organised yearly to build synergy and community coexistence.

The Igbo Festival of Arts and Culture London (IFAC) is most attended festival African festival in Europe. The highlights is the festival includes cultural plays, dance and drama, masquerades, traditional dances, traditional artists, art exhibitions of contemporary Igbo conceptual painting, sculpture, carving and craft, displays of historical and traditional artefacts showcased in splendour to the British community and friends of Africa.

 

IGBO FESTIVAL OF ARTS AND CULTURE (IFAC)

 

This festival is part of our annual cultural integration program, aimed at bringing together all Igbo people, Africans in Diaspora in the UK and Ireland to a festival that will take our audience through a journey back to the times of Igbo Civilizations

The Igbo people of West Africa are one of the largest, progressive, self-determined, cultural and most influential ethnic group in Africa; spread across all parts of world; making significant impact in all spheres of life.

This festival is intended to afford the British community the rare opportunity to witness Igbo culture and tradition in its original form. The highlights of the event will include but not limited to Igbo cultural plays, traditional dances, performances by traditional artists, dance and drama, masquerades display, historical and traditional artefacts showcased in splendor.

Venue: Lee Valley Athletics Centre

Address: 61 Meridian Way,

Edmonton, London N9 0AR

 

Date And Time

Sat, 13 July 2019

11:00 – 19:00 BST

Add to Calendar

Location

Lee Valley Athletics Centre

London N9 0AR

61 Meridian Way, Edmonton.

London

N9 0AR

 

Raised By a Single Mom With 9 Siblings, He Now Owns 12 McDonald’s Restaurants

Robert Pyles, a successful entrepreneur that owns 12 McDonald’s franchises in Wisconsin, would have never thought that he would be as successful as he is now when he was a child growing up with 9 siblings being raised by a single mother. But now, he is one of the largest African-American employers in Wisconsin and he is using his past experiences as his motivation.

Started from the bottom

Pyles started in the service industry as a part-time employee at a McDonald’s in Wyoming to earn extra income while serving at the Air Force. Since then, he realized that he loved serving customers and that’s what he wanted to do.

He completed a McDonald’s ownership training program within two and a half years. He then took the opportunity to open a McDonald’s location in Milwaukee, as suggested by the former CEO of McDonald’s Corp., Don Thompson.

He opened his first McDonald’s on February 14, 1998. He admitted that it wasn’t easy at first with all the demands of fast service. But stopping isn’t one of his options. “I told myself ‘never let ’em see you sweat.’ I knew I had to hold true to what I believed,” he told Black Enterprise.

Prepared for growth

From one location, he opened another one in the next year and it continued growing over the years to up to 12 locations now. Despite that, Pyles believes that success in business isn’t measured by growth.

“You must be prepared for growth and pay close attention to profitability. You can have less stores and be more profitable,” he said. “My goal wasn’t necessarily to keep adding stores. I wanted to create a training center environment to let people see that an African American operator can operate at a certain level.”

With about 45 employees in each location, he employs around 600 people all in all. Aside from providing jobs to the community, he wanted to ease the burden of his employees in finding affordable housing near work. So he partnered with a friend who has a construction business and started Magnolia Realty, wherein they purchase foreclosed properties near his McDonald’s stores, rebuild it, and sells it to them at a reasonable price.

Inspiring others

From his rough childhood as one of the nine children raised by a single mother, Pyles now lives comfortably with his wife and three children who work with him in the business. And he wants to inspire others to achieve what he has achieved as well.

“I think it’s really important to be both visible and accessible in the community,” he said. “It’s not enough for me alone to be successful. My goal is to help others get approved for McDonald’s ownership. I started with my wife because there’s no inherited ownership in the event that an owner passes away. Now I’m working on getting others approved.”

Mga etiketa:

 

SOURCE BLACKBUSINESS.COM