Plantain Queen II

The Blaq Star is my reflective journal of 6 days on the continent of Africa in 2019.

As my time grew closer to departure from the United States to the Motherland. The feeling of excitement mixed with anxiety began to creep into my subconscious. It was the sense that I have visited this beautiful land before, in another lifetime. The anticipation was akin to meeting a grandmother or aunt I had only heard about or seen pictures of.

Exiting the airport, the heat and beautiful collection of ebony faces greeted me. The December sun was unrelenting, exaggerating early morning smells of Waakye, Hausa Koko and Koose being prepared on open fires.

Beautiful beaches of Osu and JamesTown in Usshertown which is one of the oldest districts in Accra, Ghana, inspired visuals drenched in greens, onyx, ivory, and spectrums of the Nubian hues. I was humbly in search of historical sites that are permanently scarred by the most heinous crimes in their history, like the Elmina Slave Dungeon.

Even with stories with such a dark past these beautiful, strong people maintain a culture that is vibrant and honored in every single way. Images of men fishing not for sport, but for survival. Aqua blue tones and shadows from lush tropical vegetation created scenes soon not forgotten.

"Plantain Queen II" was created on my second official day in Ghana. I visited Jamestown and captured this beautiful woman on Jamestown Pier as she offered plantains to those who were fishing. Sadly, that pier is no longer there due to development.

Medaase! Thank you for your welcoming embrace.

The Blaq Star series.