This “woke” gesture by Ms Pelosi, Schumer, Sen. Harris had me ROFL đ
âFolks really think Black people are a joke,â author and former Warren surrogate Frederick Joseph tweeted.
âI still canât wrap my mind around the fact that they draped these white people in kente cloth to âhonorâ him,â Joseph said in another tweet. âThis has to be hell.â
Backlash continued to roll in, and it was both swift and severe:
As described by ThoughtCo:
Although kente cloth is now identified with the Akan people in West Africa, and particularly the Asante Kingdom, the term originates from the neighboring Fante. Kente cloth is closely related to Adinkra cloth, which has symbols stenciled into cloth and is associated with mourning.â
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As one of the prominent symbols of African arts and culture, Kente cloth has been embraced by the broader African diaspora (which means people of African descent wherever they might live.) Kente cloth is particularly popular in the United States among African-Americans and can be found on all types of clothing, accessories, and objects. These designs replicate registered Kente designs, but are often mass-produced outside of Ghana with no recognition or payment going to the Akan craftsmen and designers, which Boatema Boateng has argued represents a significant loss of income to Ghana.
The Ultimate History Project also emphasized Kente clothâs history with the Ashanti people, which is âstrongly tied to the history of the slave tradeâ:
âFrom the ancient history of the Ashanti Kingdom, to the Pan-African spread of tradition during the trans-Atlantic slave trade, to modern day interpretations and use of cultural heritage, the Kente cloth is both symbolic and representative of the history of the Ashanti people.
Pelosi spoke ahead of the collective moment of silence on Monday as Democrats gathered in Emancipation Hall at the U.S. Capitol.
âThat tragedy, that hour of history ⌠slavery in our own country and then all the consequences of that â we are here to observe that pain,â Pelosi said as the Kente cloth draped around her neck.
âWe are here to respect the actions of the American people to speak out against that, specifically manifested in police brutality,â she added ahead of their moment of silence, struggling to stand back up as it concluded: