Jamaican activist Marcus Garvey believed in a free Africa and global connection between the people of Africa and Black people all over the world. Inspired by Garvey’s iconic Black Star Line, Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa have announced a festival called The Black Star Line Festival to take place in Ghana, West Africa at the historic Black Star Square on January 6, 2023.
“Founded in 1919, and operated by Black people, the [Black Star Line] would link America, the Caribbean and Africa, to global shipping and tourism opportunities,” the press release explains. “The Black Star Line was a symbol of pride, not only for Africans, but also for Black people in all ports of call.
“After nearly 40 years, the Ghanian government launched their fleet with the same name, in homage to Garvey, and even added a black star to the country’s new flag.”
Black Star Line Festival
An appreciation of us
In the order of Marcus Garvey & Dr Kwame Nkrumah
Jan 6 @ Black Star Square
WE’LL SEE US THERE
🇬🇭🇧🇸🇬🇳🇯🇲🇳🇬🇹🇬🇹🇹🇧🇫🇸🇳🇺🇸🇧🇯🇨🇮🇹🇩🇨🇩🇨🇬🇪🇬🇰🇪🇩🇴🇿🇲🇿🇦🇷🇼🇪🇹🇪🇷🇿🇼🇲🇿🇦🇴🇱🇷🇱🇾🇩🇿🇹🇿🇲🇼🇧🇷🇩🇲🇦🇼🇧🇿🇨🇺🇬🇧🇫🇷🇧🇧🇭🇹🇨🇦🇬🇩 pic.twitter.com/f31mmLhOF1— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) July 19, 2022
Vic Mensa and Chance The Rapper spent the last week in Ghana with eight students from Chicago in an effort to teach them about their roots, their second trip together this year. The two Chicago natives announced the festival at Free The Youth’s flagship location.
As Chance said during the event, “When Vic and I started our careers and started touring, we did shows all over the US. Eventually we started touring in Europe, we did shows in Asia, South America, Central America, but we never had a chance to play our music for the people who support us the most.
“When we came here and touched down and felt the love that we received and the fans that we got to connect with, the understanding for the need for the connection became apparent to us. We need a music festival bringing major artists to Ghana. This is what we’re working to create.”
Chance has spent the better part of this year collaborating with artists from The Continent and Diaspora. His new works include “Child of God,” “A Bar About A Bar” and “The Highs & The Lows,” which all celebrate Black artists’ art, music and cinematography. His next album, Star Line Gallery, is expected before 2022 is up.
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