As we finally come out of the pandemic, we will undoubtedly have more get togethers, celebrations and commencements. Let’s take a look at the history of one of the most prominent items at graduations ceremonies, the Kente Cloth graduation stole.

Kente Cloth Graduation Stoles undoubtedly make graduation pictures look better. The stoles bring an ounce of flair and a pound of royalty to the pics. Have you ever wondered where this tradition started? If so, you’re in the right place.

Africans, specifically west African cultures, are famous for their weaving skills. They have been weaving for thousands of years. Kente developed from many different ways of weaving developed as early as the 11th century in Ghana West Africa. Excavations revealed loom weights, spindles and whorls. This proves that many African ancestors made a living by making and trading kente.

By the 17th century, Kente was made popular by Akan royalty. In the early 19th century, there were Kente houses filled with master weavers throughout the Ashanti capital of Kumasi.

The word Kente is derived from the work Kenton, which means basket in the Asante dialect of the Akan language, referencing the basket-like pattern in Kente cloth. In Ghana, the Akan people also refer to Kente as nwentoma, meaning woven cloth. There is a story that says weavers invented kente by trying to replicate the patterns of a spider.

Kente was introduced to the western world when the Prime Minister of Ghana wore the cloth to meet with President Eisenhower in 1958. This was at the same time as the civil rights movement and black people associated the kente cloth with African politics. Kente was brought back into the limelight when the hip hop community adopted it in the 1980s.

One of the first graduation ceremonies that students wore kente cloth graduation stoles was at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. There was a need to honor the sacrifice and effort that black students made to earn a degree from an institution of higher education. On May 15, 1993, Dr Franklin Simpson, Jerome Huston, Dr Christian Awuyah and C. James Trotman decided to have a Kente Commencement Ceremony. This first ceremony had thirty graduates in attendance. This ceremony spread to high schools, churches and colleges worldwide.

Nowadays, at almost every graduation you will see black people wearing Kente Cloth Graduation Stoles. Black people wear them as a symbol of the pride and dignity they have in their rich African heritage.

If you are graduating, or know of anyone graduating, one of the best additions to one of the most special days, is a Kente Cloth Graduation Stole. It will symbolize pride, display accomplishments and serve as a valuable keepsake forever.

Want to learn more? The Ultimate Guide To Kente Cloth Graduation Stoles

Need A Kente Stole? Kente Cloth Graduation Stole