Photo of the Day: Slavery
The Portuguese are known for their ornamental tiles which can often be found on the exterior of buildings such as homes, offices, subway stations and in this photo adorning the walls of the Mercado Da Ribeira in Lisbon. The Portuguese have an unsavoury history in Africa. As early as 1482 they had built and occupied the Elmina castle in Ghana, my home country, from which African slaves were transported to the Americas. Over 500 years later though, here I am as a tourist in Portugal wearing a Dashiki standing in front of the most potent of Portuguese symbols – an Azulejo tile-work. The Dashiki is a very African attire equally loaded with potent political and historical power. It was made popular by Oba Efuntola Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi, who was born Walter Eugene King in 1928 in Detroit Michigan. He was an African American whose yearning to re-connect with the mother continent was so strong that even his clothing began to speak on his behalf. The Dashiki spoke so loudly during the American civil rights battles in the 1960s that it has forever become immortalised in the collective memory of generations of Africans and African Americans. The past should never be forgotten but the present and future should be seen in a different lens. A lens that cannot help but trigger laughter.
This photo was submitted to MyWeku Shot, our “Photo of the Day” sharing community where readers can take part by submitting their favourite shot to be showcased.
By P. Pappoe