Reflection and Resilience: The Inspiration

Dr. Johnson’s lecture, We Wear the Mask: Understanding the African American Experience in the United States, introduced the notion that Black individuals wear masks to conceal their pain and suffering. This was inspired by Paul Laurence Dunbar and W.E.B. Du Bois. This is evident when studying the double consciousness and two warring ideas. Captured Africans wanted to show pride in their culture, but their greatest minds, talents, and community were diminished. In the present, African Americans cannot easily trace their ancestry, leaving individuals feeling like they do not fully belong in Africa or America. This is only one of the many detrimental implications of slavery still existent in our society.

To celebrate Ghanaian culture, we picked out and painted a mask of our choice. In this mask, we expressed what we learned from our time in Ghana artistically. The inspiration for my mask was the history of slavery and its detrimental impacts, while also highlighting the growth and evolution of this vibrant, welcoming, and joyful community in Ghana. I first painted the bottom of my mask with a blue gradient. This started with dark blue, fading into a lighter blue. Along the sides of her face, I added blue fabric that was cut into wave-like pieces. The mouth was also painted dark blue, signifying that African history has largely been told from European lense, rather than their own. However, with time there has been changes to emphasize equality and justice. For instance, the 2019 initiative to turn the Door of No Return, into the Door of Return, has encouraged individuals to trace their ancestry and come back home to Ghana. This is beautiful and demonstrates how this community has persisted. My mask fades into red with vibrant fabric choices. The combined prints are joyful and highlight the culturally clothing and craftsmanship in Ghana. Finally, the top of the mask has a bright print with gold within it, representing the gold coast. It is also painted yellow to demonstrate the vibrancy of Ghana. All in all, Dr. Johnson’s lectures in addition to our educational and cultural experiences here in Ghana have enabled me to grow and gain a different perspective. It was honor to paint this mask and to honor Ghanaian culture