2019 has been dubbed ‘The Year of Return‘ by Ghana’s Tourism Board who’s campaign to acknowledge 400 years since the first Trans-Atlantic slave ships left its shores for North America (Virginia), has attracted the Black Diaspora – particularly those from North America, to visit Ghana.
Tabom no Brasil: Reflections of the Malê Revolt in Bahia 184 Years Later
Finding my roots in Brazil Part of understanding who my Tabom ancestors were, and subsequently who I am, includes unravelling the past events which lead to them fleeing Brazil for their freedom back to West Africa… To be back in Bahia, in 2019 – The Year of Return – on the date of the… Continue Reading →
Tabom No Brasil: Arriving in Salvador da Bahia
I arrived in Salvador da Bahia, the land my Tabom ancestors left close to 200 years ago for their freedom in West Africa, more specifically Accra Ghana (then the Gold Coast). I almost didn’t include Salvador in this Brazil trip after flight prices sky rocketed due to the holidays, and my credit card suddenly not… Continue Reading →
Invitation to attend “Tabom in Bahia” film screening at Aparelha Luzia, São Paulo
2019 marks 400 years since the start of the West Africa Trans Atlantic Slave Trade which which is documented to have began in 1419. 2019 marca os 400 anos do início do tráfico de escravos do oeste africano pelo atlântico, documentado desde o começo de 1419.
Kai Li’s Tabom Project… An Introduction
I would like to think I started this project at an early age due to curiosity when my dad mentioned I had brazilian ancestry. Technically I started researching my Afro-Brazilian history just 2 years ago, in 2010. However, I’ve done a significant amount, enough to trace my ancestry 6 generations back to Salvador, Bahia. I… Continue Reading →
Returnees before The Year of Return: A trip down Brazil Lane, Accra Ghana
Taking a trip down memory lane to when I lead a guided tour through Jamestown and Otublohum with a few international friends who took me up on the offer to learn more about what remains of the Tabom community (descendants of Afro-Brazilian returnees) in Accra, Ghana.
Black Lives Matter: If It Ain’t Global and Intersectional – What Are We Fighting For?
I don’t think any of us could have envisioned 2020 the way it has paned out. A global pandemic (COVID-19) brought the world to a standstill, while the Black Lives Matter protests march through our cities demanding an end to police brutality and systematic racism.
MisBeee Writes creates AKADi magazine – inspiring insights from our communities!
Nothing quite kicks away the blues than unexpectedly seeing yourself as the cover girl of a brand new magazine! I had to do a double take when fellow British-Ghanaian journalist, Abena Sɛwaa aka MisBeee, tagged me on the gram premiering her new online magazine… The surprise element of course being I wasn’t aware I’d be on… Continue Reading →
A Night in Wadi Rum: My Spiritual Encounter with the Desert
Is it’s possible to have more than one spirit place?… That place where your soul feels completely as one with your mind and body. It’s as if you’re on familiar territory; perhaps from a previous encounter, perhaps from a previous life…
Salvador: It’s not Goodbye
My stay in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil ended with a collaborative shoot with artist Jan Siebert for a visual idea I had to share some insight into my Salvador trip through film. Jan went along with my ideas and contributed his own creativity… Here’s a quick edit of some of my fav shots in the… Continue Reading →