Introducing West African Textiles

Using examples in my textile collection from West Africa (including Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, the Ivory Coast, plus the Congo), I will discuss the origins of West African strip-woven textiles, influenced by parts of North Africa. We will also explore other textile manifestations within these countries: their techniques, their makers, the meaning of creative designs, and their connections to specific cultures. Contemporary textiles, including “African Cloth,” will also be demonstrated on clothing. Videos of weaving and other textile-making will be shown. Primarily, I will feature the amazing Ashanti and Ewe textiles, two of the most significant cultures in Ghana. Finally, I will suggest some possible connections to African American culture originating in West Africa where millions of enslaved Africans were taken to the Americas during The Atlantic Slave Trade. 

Required Reading: None. In addition to showing videos, I may provide other forms of information. 

Susan Bowditch has been teaching about issues around and following the enslavement of Africans in America since 2013. These have included racism, white supremacy, white privilege, reparations, affirmative action, etc.