Ghanaian American-based interdisciplinary artist and educator, Derek Fordjour, has recounted a statement that has resonated with him right from a young age.
In a podcast with Trevor Noah aired on May 8, 2025, Derek noted that at a young age, his father, as a sign of educating him about his roots, told him that should the entire Asante Kingdom perish but he is still alive, then there is hope.
He explained that this statement from his father has stayed with him ever since.
“Both of my parents are from Ghana and both of them are also Asante. I remember my dad telling me in kindergarten that if the entire Ashanti perishes tomorrow and you are alive, then the Asante Kingdom lives. And that is the way he explained where we are from and what it meant to be part of a tribe,” he said.
He further recounted how an entire village sponsored his father’s dream of becoming a doctor.
“My dad wanted to be a doctor and the entire village contributed to getting him to America to become a doctor. He tells the story… of how he left the village with a bag of money where everybody pitched in to his journey and he was going to be a doctor,” he added.
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