Democrats love photo ops. That can be said about all politicians, but Democrats in particular are keen to get involved in symbolism and fanfare whenever possible. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is a master of producing photogenic moments for the press to fawn over, but her latest attempt to virtue signal in response to George Floyd’s murder appears to include a major misstep that would be comical if it weren’t so sad.
The Kente cloth stoles she and her fellow Democrats wore during their eight-minute kneeling ceremony (socially distanced, of course) have an ironic history as it pertains to this moment. In modern times, they are considered to be a sign of affluence as the colorful woven scarves are often more expensive than their normal counterparts. Most are prints which are more affordable, but the woven scarves the Democrats chose to wore weren’t cheap. But it’s in their historical significance that we see the real faux pas manifest
These scarves were traditionally worn by the wealthy land-owners and dignitaries of the Ashanti (or Asante) tribes of what is now known as Ghana. They were made of silk, making them not only rare but also symbolic of wealth. More importantly, they were adorned by those who were involved in the pervasive slave trade the wealthy of the Ashanti tribe embraced.
You read that right. The elite in the Ashanti tribe who wore these stoles throughout history were slave owners and even slave traders. They were a scourge throughout the reason, taking people from tribes they would conquer and selling them as slaves.
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