A Piece of Me: A Cloth
- N'nako Kande'
- Jun 6
- 9 min read
Updated: 18 hours ago
"You may just see
A cloth
a piece of fabric
from overseas
But I see
a piece of me
a memory
an identity
my family
our community
our Black History
C'est plus qu'un pagne
c'est un souvenir
une identite'
c'est une trace de ma famille
de mon histoire
de fille noire nee sur le continent
You may just see
A cloth
a piece of fabric
from overseas
But I see
a cloth with symbols
that caption
our dignity
our cultural legacy
c'est plus qu'un pagne
c'est tissue avec des symbols
qui transmet un message de dignite'
d'honneur culturel
You may just see
a cloth
a piece of fabric from overseas
But let me tell you our story
before slavery
beyond the atrocities
where our name didn't have anonymity
but our names carried ancestral mysteries
and divinity
Let me tell it to the community
bind us in unity
C'est plus qu'un pagne
laissez moi vous raconteur
les mysteres de nos ancetres
Laissez moi unir nos commuautes
avec ce message noble et restaurer notre dignite'
You may just see
a cloth
a piece of fabric from overseas
But I see
and will tell
The story of our nobility"
N'nako Kande' All rights Reserved, Copyrights June 5, 2025.
(This poem can not be shared without written consent from the author.)
Happy June 2025!
Juneteenth is just days away, and I can hardly wait to see my local and "global" community celebrate this symbolic holiday.
If you are familiar with this Blog and my work, you may already know that I was born in Côte d'Ivoire and that Chattanooga, Tennessee, has been my home for over twenty years.
Even though Juneteenth is not an African holiday, as a descendant of griots and child of the diaspora, the significance of this holiday is one that I am proud to celebrate with every "descendant' born in the USA far from the motherland.
This poem is inspired by a recent celebration of World Kulture Day, intentionally spelled with a K to honor the Kande, Kante, and Kouyate families, which are the roots to the tree from which I am a branch. (How well can you trace your family tree? (See the activities in The Art of Rooting Coloring & Activity book)
A cloth can be a mundane or very special piece of fabric, depending on how it is used and the quality of the textile. We use a cloth every day and in various phases of our lives, from birth, birthdays, weddings, countless milestones, until death do us part."
" A child is born."
In every culture, a newborn is immediately covered and wrapped in a cloth minutes after leaving his mother's womb and exposed to the elements of our natural world.
If you live in the United States, you are familiar with the modest white cloth with stripes that all newborns are wrapped in at the hospital. Most babies' first photos are taken in that cloth.
Modern parents are intentional in selecting beautiful ones for their babies' first photoshoot, a keepsake that may be passed on to future generations.
It was an old tradition and practice that some of those clothes might be used to make a quilt that would preserve the family's story.
But the cloth is not just culturally symbolic at birth,
The fabric, in terms of its material, color, design, and how it is worn, is also of great significance during special life events marked by ceremonial traditions, ranging from weddings to funerals.
"To death do us part." Burial Cloth:
In some cultures, a burial cloth is wrapped about the body of the deceased.
Historically, Egyptians preserved mummies in linen that was often coated with resin to preserve the bodies.
Culturally, in Islamic burial, the deceased is wrapped in a white cloth, known as a kaftan, to symbolize humility and equality in death. In Jewish traditions, the tachrichim is used to wrap the body before placing it in a wooden coffin or directly in the earth, like they do in Islamic traditions.
( Read and do the activities in What about Peace to explore more of the similarities and differences between the three major religions in the world and, possibly, increase your knowledge and empathy.)
In Madagascar, the Malagasy people practice Famadihana, "the turning of bones," where they remove their ancestors from their tombs and wrap them in fresh burial cloth to celebrate their memory.
From our first breath to our last, a cloth may hold a special significance in our culture and families. For some, they are cherished "ceremonial garth." (A depiction from Nana Boadu, borrowed from one of my unpublished manuscripts...stay tuned)
In everyday life, a cloth may not seem important, especially if it's a burp cloth or washcloth. Still, beyond the obvious, there are things to consider, as the quality of the textile, the color, and the symbols, which may convey some unique messages. From storytelling, social status, and cultural symbolism, a fabric is more than just a piece of cloth.
Some pieces of fabric hold
"symbols
that caption
our dignity
our cultural legacy"
Depicted on the Ankara cloth that I have wrapped around my body are Adinkra symbols commonly found in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.
Each symbol holds a special meaning, and some Ankara also reveal one's social status.
Special Notes: Ankara fabric, not to be confused with Ankara, the capital of Turkey, is also known as African wax prints, Dutch wax, and Wax Hollandais
" African prints" and "Wax" are printed in Holland. Dutch wax, also known as "Hollandais" was initially produced for the Indonesian Market in the 19th century. The mechanically printed cotton textile, inspired by Indonesian Batik, became very popular in West Africa, where it started revolutionizing the fashion world.
The fabric is made of cotton and is loved for its vibrant, colorful, bold, geometric, and symbolic patterns, like the one I am wearing in the photographs below.
From Left to Right
1.N'nako Kande & Kofi Mawuko 2, N'nako Kande in a cloth featuring Adinkra symbols. 3. Are you familiar with Adinkra Symbols ( page from The Art of Rooting activity book.)
What do you see when you see my cloth?
"You may just see
A cloth
a piece of fabric
from overseas
But I see
a piece of me
a memory"
My cloth, sparks many memories...
a memory of Sundays at the beach
a memory of dancers and their "calebasses"
memories of random, hot summer afternoons,
memories of my firstborn wrapped around my back,
memories of a cloth held by two people and used as a swing during my playtime as I sat in the middle...
memories of ceremonies and festivals
memories of street vendors...
memories of an election (it is a common practice for political parties to have a custom-made print for their supporter to show their political affiliations)
The continent is always bursting with colors, where fabrics tell their own stories.
Ankara, "Dutch wax," "African prints" are used for
clothing, dresses, skirts, shirts, headscarves, bow tie
bags
furnitures
fashion accessories
home decor, curtain, upholstery, and so much more.
The cloth that serves me as a headwrap can hide many messages....
Are you familiar with the history of headwraps in the United States and the Tignon Law?
"You may just see
a cloth
a piece of fabric from overseas
But let me tell you our story
before slavery
beyond the atrocities
where our name didn't have anonymity
but our names carried ancestral mysteries
and divinity"
One of the symbols on the cloth I am pictured wearing is the Adinkra symbol "Gye Nyame," which means "Except God." It expresses the omnipotence of God and is featured on Ghana's largest banknote, the 200 cedi note.
"You may just see
a cloth
a piece of fabric from overseas
But let me tell you our story
before slavery
beyond the atrocities
where our name didn't have anonymity
but our names carried ancestral mysteries
and divinity
Let me tell it to the community
bind us in unity
You may just see
a cloth
a piece of fabric from overseas
But I see
and will tell
The story of our nobility"
N'nako Kande' All rights Reserved, Copyrights June 5, 2025.
Why is this so important to me?
Before my early days as a performing poet, I was educated and influenced to appreciate my family's heritage and then my cultural identity.
Living in America has exposed me to aspects of black history that I was previously unfamiliar with. As a mother to American children, I have learned over the past decade just how different our experiences can be. Indeed, "the black experience is not monolithic."
As a poet, I do not know any other way to express myself than by imbuing my heritage and identity. How could I? I grew up watching my uncle hypnotize the audience with his kora, and my dad's loyalty to art and cultural pride was a constant throughout most of my young life. "Greatness" was taught to me as a fundamental standard —a habit to develop with intention.
With time, those principles sown in me at a young age became the roots to a tree that span multiple continents, mixed heritages, and a deep love for humanity and the global community, My uncle Mory Kante', as griot and an historian strongly believed that the responsibility of an artist was to serve as a bridge.
As the only Black storyteller in the documentary Cultural Cross Ties Chattanooga-Tono, being a multicultural and intercontinental bridge felt like a calling,
As addressed throughout the Documentary and my coloring and activity book " What about peace?" Our races, cultures, languages, upbringings, beliefs, and traditions may very well differ, but our humanity shouldn't.
And it takes books, travels, stories, conversations, and interactions to develop more empathy and respect for our local and global communities because our diversity is our strength.
( A special shout out to Peggy Douglas, Elizabeth Tillman, and Barking Leg's one and only Ann Law. The world is better with humans and humanitarians like them.)
What can you do?
Read books that tell you stories that aren't solely limited to the struggle of blacks.
From the African motherland to the Caribbean and everywhere, you will find a descendant of this rich diaspora. There are countless stories of honor, dignity, and nobility.
Offer the books to your friends of any age, as well as young people.
Representation does matter.
Allow me to share those stories with you through my poetry, writing, and my advocacies. They are true stories, I know, because they live in me.
They are uplifting stories. I know because they feed me, mind, spirit, and soul.
You can purchase my books on Amazon or contact me for bulk orders.
You can book a workshop or Q&A for your small or large group, school, or other organization.
Watch the videos on YouTube, subscribe, and share!
Subscribe to this Blog or Shop.
If you live in the Chattanooga area, you can purchase Nakivoire African print shirts in person at The Smart Oasis.
Nakivoire will be a part of the fashion show and parade on June 19. Snap some photos and tag us on Facebook or Instagram.
You are invited to celebrate Juneteenth 2025 with us by attending the following events on June 14 and June 19. ( More may be added.)
Above, the Juba Festival, by the Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas.
Visit the site for more information on other events and ways to support this outstanding Organization.
Below, Tarrisha Hicks, founder of Sobi and member of the Juba Dance Ensemble.
See the video below for a glimpse of Tarrisha Hicks dancing to one of my production of " Ancestry" at the James Baldwin Festival of Words in August 2023. Read my award-winning book, The Art of Rooting for the special story.
You can see in the video and photographs below how Nakivoire African prints differ in style, use, and how versatile they are.
For headwraps, visit the Shop or contact us for a virtual shopping session.
Tell me:
Do you have a favorite type of African textile?
From the photos shared above, which print is your favorite?
Which Adinkra symbols (research) is your favorite?
Did any of the videos resonate with you?
Did any line of the introductory poem speak to you? Which ones?
What did you learn?
Want to book a textile or other Nakivoire experience? You can! Just email nakivoire@gmail.com
Do you have any special thoughts I would love to read? Leave a comment!
In Cote d'Ivoire and In Ghana, Akwaba is our official WELCOME!
You are welcome to join me on any platforms, share your story or show your love and support.
One last thing, here's one last read to enjoy and learn more about my dear friend Kofi Mawuko!
Explore and get in touch!
Merci! Thank You!
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