Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente Cloth and African-American Identity

Black World History Museum,
2505 St. Louis Avenue, St. Louis
October 22 - December 15, 2005

In celebration of National Arts and Humanities Month, and Black World History Community Days, the museum welcomes this touring exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution.

Wrapped in Pride is an exhibit that presents historic and contemporary examples of Ghanaian kente, objects, photographs, and interactive installations that examine the vibrant cloth in its cultural contexts. It explores how the traditional use of the cloth in Asante and Ewe culures spread throught the African continent, addresses trade issues, and explores the industrial and commercial implications of kente inspired objects.

A traditional loom with an unfinished strip of kente will allow visitors to participate in the weaving process. Another display of a Ghanaian market stall with cloth and other kente items recreates a visit to the market place.

The use of kente in the US as an expression of African American cultural identity is explored, with examples ranging from religious ceremonies to commercial enterprises, as depicted in photographs.

The Black World History Museum opened in 1997 as the Midwest's first African American history wax museum. Its mission is to interpret Missouri's Black history and heritage in the context of American History.

The Smithsonian interactive website about this exhibit include sections on how to wear kente cloth, and a design your own kente pattern.

Talking Ozarks Symposium

Southwest Missouri State University-West Plains,
Sept 16 & 17 (recent MHC grant recipient)

The theme of this year’s event is “Borderlands: Cultural and Geographical Interfaces Within the Ozarks,” and it will feature panel discussions, presentations and performances by representatives of the academic world and the public sector.
Among the guest speakers will be:
• Dr. William Clements, professor of English and folklore at Arkansas State University (ASU) in Jonesboro, whose credits also include writing and hosting “Calendar Lore,” a radio program which airs weekdays on KASU, the public radio station at ASU;

• Dr. Gregory Hansen, assistant professor of folklore and English at ASU and the author of numerous articles on folklore in the southeast and midwestern United States;

•Dr. Rachel Gholson, assistant professor of English at SMSU-Springfield, coordinator of the Ozarks Studies Program Design Committee and associate editor “OzarksWatch: The Magazine for the Ozarks”;

• Gordon McCann of Springfield, renowned fiddler and one of the country’s most knowledgeable experts on traditional American fiddle tunes;
• Holly Hobbs, Columbia, a musician and filmmaker who is currently working on her dissertation research on “Music as a Resource for Rural Development: Culture and Identity in the West of Ireland and the Missouri Ozarks” for her Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from the National University of Ireland-Galway;

Keynote speaker will be Dr. Robert Cochran, professor of English, chair of the American Studies department and director of the Center for Arkansas and Regional Studies at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville.

For more information, contact the U/CP office at 417-255-7966.

National History Day in Missouri Workshop:
Missourians Take a Stand in History
State Historical Society of Missouri

Date: September 17, 2005, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Place: Moberly Area Community College, Kirksville

National History Day in Missouri (NHDMO), an educational outreach program sponsored by the State Historical Society of Missouri and the Western Historical Manuscipt Collection-Columbia (WHMC-C), will conduct a workshop, open to teachers and the general public.


Learn Missouri history from Jeff Gall, PhD, associate professor of history at Truman State University in a session on Missourians who stood up for their beliefs

Diane Ayotte presents a session on how to find historical resources in the various libraries, archives, and repositories around the state

Learn how to present research projects as live performances or reenactments from Tom Prater, PhD


The State Historical Society (SHS) is the preeminent research facility for the study of our state's heritage. Since 1989 one of their most successful outreach projects has been the year-long NHDMO program. The program encourages young people in grades 6-12 to explore history, and teaches them to understand historical issues, ideas, people, and events by promoting in-depth research of topics related to an annual theme.



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updated 10/4/05