The Black story, experience, culture and achievements are underrepresented in the mainstream media; the rich, colorful, and diverse stories pushed to the margins of the institutionalized narratives which often are skewed and prevaricated.
Told without our participation but given to generalization and pure assumptions. The Black stories are over and under shadowed at the same time. Media coverages play a crucial role in helping shape the broader cultural narrative in powerful and dangerous ways.
As part of uplifting and highlighting Black stories and their often-silenced voices, UndocuBlack Network is working to bridge the anti-immigrant and anti-Black rhetoric and misinformation that dictate the routine narrative surrounding Black communities and striving to lift every voice up. Without further ado, we would like to highlight Seyram Agbleze, a Ghanaian author, artist and activist educated at Central University College, who uses written works and visual works to tell stories with an interest in Africa and the diaspora.
Seyram Agbleze’s works explore themes of humanity, identity, and freedom. He is the author of Journey of West African Textile Traditions and other notable projects such as A Forgotten People; a body of work that highlights some overlooked history of Africa. He is a recipient of the Thetis Blacker Award from Temenos Academy, London (patron Prince of Wales). Also in the U.S, he is one of UndocuBlack Network’s uplifted Black artists and personalities for the year 2022 Black History Month.
UndocuBlack Network: What does Blackness mean to you? And how do you celebrate Black excellence?
Seyram Agbleze: Blackness for me represents a great heritage and I celebrate it by staying true to my roots. And at the core of Black liberty is unity, by building strong communities across the diaspora. Unity being strength cannot be overemphasized. We need to understand that regardless of where we find ourselves as black people in the world our problems are basically the same because they stem from the same root. Black liberty, means being treated fairly as any other person in the world. It’s just not fair that others inherited unfair gains from the abuse of black people in the past and would still continue to benefit from unfair systems in this present day that perpetuates so much inequality.
UndocuBlack Network: When did you first realize you wanted to be an author?
Seyram Agbleze: I think that would be at an incredibly early age because even as a young boy I had quite an imagination and was fond of telling stories, recreating movies in my head and my older cousins still tease me about those times whenever we meet. I believe as a people we get too absorbed in everything happening in our lives and fail to pause and admire the beauty of life, our unique stories and all that is around us. I am inspired by the beauty of life and driven to document it in my own small way. My first book was around 2016 about Sundiata Keita; the founder of the Mali Empire. He was a great-uncle to Mansa Musa, the ancient Mali king whose gifts of gold to others on his pilgrimage to Mecca caused a devaluation of gold in the Middle East at the time. Believed to be one of the wealthiest men to have ever lived. However, this book of mine was not published, I was twenty-six at the time. Four years on, 2020 a different one would get published
UndocuBlack Network: What is the process and steps you take to complete your work and bring it out to the world as a final product? How long does it take you to finalize your work?
Seyram Agbleze: First of all, I like to immerse myself into the stories, mostly traveling to the area of interest, getting a firsthand connection to these stories I try to tell. Some stories come alive easier to you right when you are at the place, others take time and can stay with you long after you have left. However, in all my stories I attempt to give a little soul to all my works. As we all know black stories are underrepresented and often misrepresented. I source information from various sources. In some works, I involve griots who are custodians of the history and traditions of their societies. In these places, you get access to so much information. It is interesting to know that other societies kept a record of things too in their own way.
UndocuBlack Network: What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
Seyram Agbleze: If we take for instance works of mine in the sphere of re-examining black history, I first analyze existing documents about the subject of interest and these documents usually come with bias because they were mostly produced through Eurocentric lenses. I then do my own research collaborating with existing traditional African societies to present their version too, which is often another version of the story.
UndocuBlack Network: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Seyram Agbleze: I work simultaneously as an artist, so it is usually creating art. Aside from this, I like to listen to some good music.
UndocuBlack Network: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
Seyram Agbleze: A sense of relief. I found it to be very therapeutic. I did not realize at first how much of a release it was to share those stories. So far, I have authored three books. My favorite would be Journey of West African Textile Traditions. We all know how symbolic textiles are to African societies and that trip actually covered beyond textiles, it was also a journey of self-discovery.
UndocuBlack Network: What do you think makes a relevant story?
Seyram Agbleze: I think what makes a good story is something that all can relate with. That is why empathy is a desirable quality in a storyteller and I tell my story from the perspective and the livid experience of a black person. I believe what makes my process and approach different from that of other authors is that I tell stories I experience, have knowledge about and truly understand.
UndocuBlack Network: What is the one constant thing that has shaped the work you do and produce?
Seyram Agbleze: Black representation has been at the center of all my work and one of the most important characteristics of my art is that they normally come with a spice of traditional African infusion to exhibit the beauty from the “the other side” as the main message to communicate with readers.
UndocuBlack Network: Why do you think it is important to tell and record the stories you tell?
Seyram Agbleze: So, we do not forget. History is a very integral part of every society. What Eurocentric writers try to do to our history is really unfortunate. It is our sacred duty to remember, preserve and tell the contributions of those who came before us.
UndocuBlack Network: Who is your favorite Black artist/author and what work of theirs has left an impact on you?
Seyram Agbleze: El Anatsui. It is fascinating how he creates beauty from discarded bottle caps.
UndocuBlack Network: What’s the question nobody is asking or addressing regarding Black artists?
Seyram Agbleze: Why the great works produced do not get that same attention as their white contemporaries. And we all know the answer to that.
UndocuBlack Network: What kind of stories and narratives do you want to see or read in the media regarding Black artists?
Seyram Agbleze: I want to see Black artists given the equal support/investment their craft deserves without working twice as much. Their work makes the world a better place and they deserve the spotlight and opportunities to share their work.
UndocuBlack Network: What is your message to the Black folks across the diaspora?
Seyram Agbleze: It can be said that life is an interesting way is all about surrender. We all surrender to birth, love, death… Yet what we must never surrender to is oppression, be it in any form. No man has that right to oppress another. It is our right to demand a dignified life for our community.
UndocuBlack “is a multigenerational network of currently and formerly undocumented Black people that fosters community, facilitates access to resources, and contributes to transforming the realities of our people, so we are thriving and living our fullest lives.”
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