On display at St. Agnes + Our Lady of Fatima Church at East 66th and Lexington is a Kente Cloth. According to Wikipedia, Kente refers to a Ghanaian textile made of hand-woven strips of silk and cotton. Historically the fabric was worn in a toga-like fashion among the Asante, Akan and Ewe people. According to Asante oral tradition, it originated from Bonwire in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. In modern day Ghana, the wearing of kente cloth has become widespread to commemorate special occasions, and kente brands led by master weavers are in high demand. Due to the popularity of kente cloth patterns, production of mass-produced prints with the kente patterns have become popular throughout West Africa, and by extension the whole of Africa. Globally, the print is used in the design of academic stoles in graduation ceremonies worn mostly by black people in the United States and Canada.
Kente Cloth display at St Agnes and Our Lady of Fatima Church
Posted 6-19-25
2024
Tema, Ghana and Cleveland Ohio - Sister Cities
According to Sister City International (SCI), a sister city, county, or state relationship is a broad-based, long-term partnership between two communities in two countries. A relationship is officially recognized after the highest elected or appointed official from both communities sign off on an agreement to become sister cities. Cleveland has 26 sister cities and most of these cities have good relationship with Cleveland and are tied with business, trade, educational or cultural projects and exchanges.
One of those is the city of Tema in Ghana with Cleveland.
At a Sister Cities Flag Dedication event on September 17, 2024 at the Cleveland Public Library Global Cleveland President Joe Cimperman called up Crystal L. Bryant-Agyemang, Executive Director of the Cleveland Branch of the NAACP. She spoke about her fellow Ghana native Kwame Botchway who tragically passed away recently.
Other attendees at the event included these young men from Ghana.
African Heritage Day - Cleveland Cultural Gardens World on Stage
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation 2023 World on Stage events in the Gardens are showcasing various heritages. The first 2023 event was African Heritage Day on July 1, 2023.
MC Sia Nyorkor with Ethiopian coffee
Audience members came from a variety of African countries including Liberia, Ghana, Congo, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda, Egypt, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia. One attendee from Pretoria, South Africa said, "This is the first time I've felt like home since I came to Cleveland."
There was delicious West African food, an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, drummers, dancers and fun for families.
Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana endured a long series of coups before Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS took power in 1981 and banned political parties.
After approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992, RAWLINGS won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996 but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John KUFUOR succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS won the 2008 presidential election and took over as head of state, but he died in July 2012 and was constitutionally succeeded by his vice president, John Dramani MAHAMA, who subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election.
Profiles of Ghanaians in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio
If you know of a Cleveland Ghanaian who should be profiled, please let us know.
ClevelandPeople.Com - Ghanaian Ambassadors
Read more about the Ghanaian and other Ambassadors. If you are interested in being considered to be an official ClevelandPeople.com Ambassador to the Cleveland Ghanaian community, please contact us.
