The African Diaspora’s “Cromanti’s” identity is inspired by this historical town of Kormantse. The town continues to be an important point of reference for explaining African survival in the Diaspora. It has helped in shaping identities and interpreting the history and culture of Africa and the African Diaspora. Prof. Agorsah suggests that “the mention of Kormantse would spark fear, pride and empowerment”
What started as
an idea conceived by Dr. Mario Nisbett turned out to be, to a significant degree,
a successful event which justified its inclusion in the PANAFEST colloquium at
the University of Cape Coast. The Centre for African and International Studies
(CAIS) Exhibition/Expo 2019 happened to be a befitting complement for the
colloquium, which was the main event of the day. The exhibition, which ran
concurrently with the colloquium, took place on 29th-31st
July 2019. It included display of images about the Centre and its purpose;
historic sites in Ghana and the African Diaspora; and African, African American
and African Diaspora leaders, and artifacts from Kormantse. The aim of the
exhibition was to highlight shared stories as well as collaborative and
co-developmental projects between Africa and the African diaspora; this was in line
with the overall objective of PANAFEST 2019 earmarked by the Government of
Ghana as the YEAR OF RETURN (YOR) — to trigger a conversation between Africans
all over the world in furtherance of the call for solidarity, unity and
cooperation amongst all black peoples on the continent and in the diaspora
echoed by Pan-African giants such as Marcus Garvey and Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
In 2018, the
President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo launched the YOR 2019 to open
the gates of Ghana to all people of African descent to embark on a historic
exodus to the motherland, Africa, where they truly come from.
That said, the
thrust of this write-up captures the activity which heralded the success and
importance of the CAIS Exhibition/Expo 2019 — our trip to Kormantse and the
experience lived and told through photos. Since the exhibition was committed to
showcasing the connection between Ghana in particular and Africa in general,
and the African Diaspora, the impetus had been provided to visit this historic
settlement of Kormantse.
Historic Kormantse and Kormantse in the African
Diaspora
Kormantse was
and remains a fishing and farming community sitting on the hill north-east of
Fort Amsterdam/Fort Kormanti at Abandze on the Accra-Cape Coast highway. Its
existence as a settlement dates back over seven hundred years ago. Ancient
contacts with some ethnic groups in areas of the northern region of Ghana (then
Gold Coast) are speculated in migration stories of Kormantse. Ngyedum is the
ancestral home of the Kormantse people (Kormantse Nkum and Kormantse Bentsir). As
a community which continues to cling to its old customs, traditions and belief
systems, the people declare that their ancestors had in their possession
seventy-seven deities. These deities are mentioned to have culminated from
amassing additional power deities as they (ancestors) journeyed to Kormantse
and have been in their (Kormantse people) care since. According to Prof. Kofi
Agorsah, “The name “Kormantse” in its various spellings continues to signify
bravery, power, spirituality, authority and the best of the African in the
African Diaspora.” Kormantse is noted for their display of bravery, fierceness
and resistance to oppression; this is seen in both their opposition to the
building of a trading lodge by the English, who arrived in Kormantse in early
seventeenth century after the formation of British West Indian Company in 1618,
and their priceless history of victory over the Asantes. Prof. Agorsa tells of
the valor of the Kormantse people:
When the
British attempted to build their very first lodge at Kormantse and failed to
complete it owing to the depredations of the local people, little they realize
that they were sparking an everlasting confrontation with one of the warrior
groups of Africa that would define the course of freedom for many.
A true
depiction of the aphorism:
“A two-edged
sword,” which slashes on both sides.
The settlement
of Kormantse is widely noted for its involvement in the colonial trans-Atlantic
slave trade. The African Diaspora’s “Cromanti’s” identity is inspired by this
historical town of Kormantse. The town continues to be an important point of
reference for explaining African survival in the Diaspora. It has helped in
shaping identities and interpreting the history and culture of Africa and the
African Diaspora. Prof. Agorsah suggests that “the mention of Kormantse would
spark fear, pride and empowerment” because the religious connection with
Kormantse heritage empowered the enslaved people who resisted all forms of
injustice and asserted their traditional values and survival. It is instructive
to note that the undiluted African spirituality existent in Kormantse offers an
explanation of the ability of Africans, who were forcibly taken from their
roots, to survive the affliction of captivity in the New World. The Maroons of
Jamaica, Suriname and French Guiana are among such groups who trace their
ancestry to the historic site of Kormantse. Carey Robinson, a renowned Jamaican
journalist, posited that:
Many of the
captives came from war-like tribes which were called ‘Coromantins’ by
Europeans…They were described as fierce, bold, proud and courageous; possessing
‘an elevation of soul’, which prompts them to enterprises of difficulty and
danger, and enables them to meet death, in its most horrid shape, without
flinching; despite their dangerous reputation, the British planters preferred
Coromantins because of their strength and ability to work hard.
Kormantse
presents an appreciation and understanding of African culture in the African
Diaspora, profoundly in the Caribbean and the Americas. It also explains how
African cultures have nursed the African Diaspora and paved the way for the
struggle for freedom and self-determination in the Diaspora. Prof. Agorsah
opined that “the impact of Kormantse, whether hypothetical or real is very well
demonstrated by the examples of the religious practices, particularly those
related to funerals among the Maroon societies in French Guiana.” Beverley
Carey, a Jamaican-born Maroon writer, wrote about “Koromanti or Karamanti drum
and language” and pointed out that “Karamanti songs are said to be derived from
Twi language.”
Taking a trip
to Kormantse
To climax the
exhibition, a trip was organized to Kormantse. This afforded the brothers and
sisters from the Diaspora, notably those from the Caribbean, who had made the
spiritual return to the motherland the chance to establish a hearty connection
with their roots. As Peter Tosh rightly mentioned, “No matter where you come
from, as long as you’re black man you’re an African.” Most especially for those
from the Caribbean (Jamaica), at last they had their feet planted on the soil
of historic Kormantse, where their ancestors were removed and sent into
servitude. Upon our arrival, we were met with a large crowd of people cladded
in red, which is the colour of Kormantse Asafo
groups. The Asafo are para-military groups charged with the protection of the
community and preservation of its traditional religious beliefs. Each Asafo group has its distinctive colours,
banners, costume and other paraphernalia which
differentiate it from other groups. Amidst drumming, dancing and chants of war
songs, we were led to the chief’s palace to be formerly welcomed to the town by
the chief and elders of the community. Libation was poured and prayers said to
thank the gods for an opportunity for Africans in the Diaspora to finally
return to their ancestral home. After the courtesy call on the chief and his
elders to announce our presence and intentions for visiting the community,
amidst the pomp and pageantry, we were led to embark on the exhilarating climb
uphill to the original settlement of the earliest settlers of Kormantse; this
climb is the highlight of every visit to this historic community. Having
originally settled on the hill, time coupled with an increase in population has
ensured the migration of the people downwards to the fringes of the Accra-Cape
Coast main road. One could find shrines and posubans
littered
within the community, giving currency to the centuries-long reverence for their
deities and that “the principal gods are, therefore, believed to be as old as
historic Kormantse.” According to Prof. Agorsah, “Posubans
are Asafo monuments that serve as
religious shrines and community meetings and rituals.” As evidence to their
celebrated victory over the Asantes, we were taken to the spot where they
launched an attack of the Asante invaders: a deep gorge located on top of the
hill in the community.
Some of the brothers and sisters from the
Diaspora expressed immense elation and fulfilment to have made the journey to
the “Land of their ancestors.” To them, this visit proved rather more spiritual
and its cultural relevance overwhelming than they had envisaged prior to
boarding the plane to Ghana. One mentioned that, “coming back to the original home
of my ancestors is an indescribable feeling of joy and fulfilment, which will
stay with me the rest of my life. I mean how can one be an African in the Diaspora,
specifically the Caribbean, and not visit the continent and Kormantse to
experience, first-hand, the richness and similarity of cultures we in the
Diaspora share with the African people on the continent? Thank you CAIS for
this opportunity to feel the spirit of my ancestors on me.” Another sister from
the Diaspora pointed out that “it’s been an amazing feeling to be in Africa for
the first time, most importantly to Ghana which is home to the historic people
of Kormantse and their history of indigenous sources of spirituality, resilience,
industry and ready-to-fight spirit. Much has been heard and read about the
Kormantse (Coromanti in the Caribbean) people of Ghana so to be here in flesh
means a lot to me as an African in the Diaspora. The excitement on the faces
our brothers and sisters here in Kormantse is very heart-warming and offers the
best sense of belongingness to the African race and a rousing welcome to the
place we really originate from. I really feel at home! Bless you CAIS for this
experience of a lifetime.”
This visit to Kormantse demonstrated the need to
establish robust and functioning cooperation and linkages between Africa and
the African Diaspora, which underlies the significance of the CAIS
Ghana-Diaspora Heritage
as a long-term agenda to promote relationships and harness the potential of
collaborative efforts between all African peoples, both home and abroad. This project chimes in with the African
Union’s designation of the Diaspora as Africa’s sixth region, which demands
collaborations of this kind, and in pursuance of the aspiration of the AU
Agenda 2063 that Africa shall “have dynamic and mutually beneficial links with
her Diaspora.”
