What is a Kente stole? Adapted from African tradition in Ghana, this woven cloth (which was once only worn by royalty) is a scarf-like garment worn over the shoulders. Similar to standard graduation stoles, they typically represents some type of accomplishment, graduation or other rites of passage.
What is the significance of a kente stole?
Traditionally, Kente stoles in the United States were one or more of the four colors that symbolize the Pan-African Movement and Black Pride consciousness — black, red, green and yellow.
Can anyone wear the kente stole?
While any high school or college student qualifies to wear a Kente stole at their graduation, the display should hold a deep, personal significance for the wearer. Stoles were first used by the Catholic clergy in the 12th century, worn to distinguish rank or promotion within their hierarchy.
What is the meaning of the Kente cloth?
Definition of kente cloth
: colorfully patterned cloth traditionally woven by hand in Ghana. — called also kente.
Who gets a kente stole?
A Kente Graduation Celebration, also sometimes known as a Sankofa Ceremony, is a pre-commencement ceremony practiced in the United States, typically by African-American students graduating from high school or college, where participants are presented with a Kente stole to be worn over their gown during the graduation
How is kente a symbol of pride?
Kente is exported as one of the key symbols of African heritage and pride in African ancestry throughout the diaspora. In spite of the proliferation of both the hand-woven and machine-printed kente, the design is still regarded as a symbol of social prestige, nobility, and cultural sophistication.
What is Donning of the Kente?
Donning (or putting on) of the Kente stole is a rites of passage for students of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to move to the next chapter in their lives. The Kente cloth is to be worn with graduation regalia. It is made of fabrics from Ghana, woven together intricately with symbolism.
Who uses Kente cloth?
Weaving kente cloth is a cultural tradition of the Asante (also known as Ashanti) people, and these fabrics were originally used exclusively to dress kings and their courts. Each block, pattern, and color has a distinct name and meaning, and the cloth often includes adinkra symbols, which represent concepts or sayings.
Where did Kente cloth originated?
Ghana
According to NDiaye, the colorful patterned fabrics known as kente can be traced back to the Asante people of the Akan kingdom in what is now Ghana. The word “kente” actually translates to “handwoven cloth” in the Twi language of the Akan people.
What does a blue stole mean?
Here are a few colors for the most popular majors:
Law: Purple. Business: Beige. Mathematics, Science: Yellow. Philosophy, Political Science: Dark Blue. Medicine: Green.
Do Africans wear kente cloth?
Today, kente cloth is recognized as the most well-known African textile. In the United States, kente patterns are popularly worn as graduation stoles by Black students. “Kente is comparable to an evening gown or tuxedo in Western cultures.
What was the Ashanti tribe known for?
As they prospered, Ashanti culture flourished. They became famous for gold and brass craftsmanship, wood carving, furniture, and brightly colored woven cloth, called kente.
Who is the founder of kente?
Kentemust is a brand that is inspired by Ghana and highlights its colors and its fabric, kente. Its creator Cédric Evans, of Ghanaian origin, revisits this traditional fabric originally worn by the Ashanti kings.
Why do black graduates wear stoles?
When Black students wear Kente stoles as a sign of their successful matriculation through higher education, they transform their bodies into living, breathing proverbs.
What do cords at graduation mean?
A graduation rope, or honor cord, is worn to represent an achievement of the student or their participation in a specific group or study, which is identified by the color or colors of the cord.
What is Kente ceremony?
Kente Cloth Graduation Celebrations are annual ceremonies held on numerous campuses across the country to recognize the academic and cultural achievements of graduating Black, African-American, and African students.
Does kente mean basket?
The term kente has its roots in the word kenten, which means “basket”. The raffia fibers that the first kente weavers used made the woven cloths look like kenten (a basket), and thus were referred to as kenten ntoma meaning “basket cloth”. the kente is a ceremonial cloth hand-woven on a horizontal tread loom.
What are the differences between Asante and Ewe kente?
Kente is woven in four-inch (9.5 cm) narrow strips that are sewn together. A characteristic Asante kente has geometric shapes woven in bright colors along the entire length of the strip, while Ewe kente often displays a tweed effect by plying together different colored threads in many of the warps.
How do you wear a stole of gratitude?
The graduate may take the stole from around his/her neck and place it around the neck of the recipient, along with words of thanks. Or, you may choose to present the Stole prior to the ceremony so the recipient may wear it.
Why is it called Lavender graduation?
It is usually held before formal commencement. The ceremony takes its name (and sometimes the color of tassels or other items given to students) from the significance of the color lavender in the LGBTQ community.
How long does it take to weave kente cloth?
How long does it take to make a Kente Cloth? Depending on measurements but mostly the design, it can take between 3 days to a month. You can create a design by how the thread is faced and then the weaving is an easy job.
