Heroes: Principles of African Greatness Exhibit Entryway (2019) by Brad SimpsonSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
A long-term permanent collection installation at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art.
Curated by Kevin D. Dumouchelle
Heroes Exhibit Banner (2019) by Sakinya Washington and Lisa VannSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Be your best. This is the quest that the greatest of heroes model for us. Through their journeys, struggles, and triumphs, exceptional individuals exemplify values that we celebrate in tales of heroic accomplishment—epics that outlast heroes themselves. Africa’s history abounds with such tales.
Africa Dances (1980) by Benedict Enwonwu MBESmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Independent Africa Faces Forward
We face neither East nor West: we face forward.
—Kwame Nkrumah, Commonwealth Prime Minister’s Conference, 1960
Heroes Series 6 (2021-01-07) by Kevin DumouchelleSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Heroes and Artists of Part 7 (4:31)
Africa Dances (1980) by Benedict Enwonwu MBESmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Heroes concludes with a necessary focus on hope. If psychological or material struggles against occupation, colonization, and division have dominated much of the narrative to this point, the artists and heroes here who have blazed, or are blazing, a path forward—facing the future once more on their own terms—govern the concluding section.
Heroes: Principles of African Greatness - Dispatch 7 Themes (2021) by Marc Bretzfelder and 2021Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
Each principal in Heroes is represented by an artwork and a specific historic African person who embodies the value expressed in the selected work. In this final dispatch, we explore art and heroes who are Organizers and Voices, who Inspire us to see the Dignity and Independence of all—and who model how to be an Ally.
The Ancestors Converged Again (1995) by El AnatsuiSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Organizers
They came. They saw. They organized.
The Ancestors Converged Again
El Anatsui
b. 1944, Anyako, Volta Region, Ghana
Works in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
1995
Wood, tempera Purchased with funds provided by the Annie Laurie Aitken Endowment, 98-11-1
The Ancestors Converged Again (1995) by El AnatsuiSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Before he was globally celebrated for his works in found metal, El Anatsui first pursued sculptural forms in ceramics and found wood. He notes, “I look at textures of my work in process and I think about the texture and grain of Africa’s history; I look at the authentic colors of the different types of wood and they remind me of the real colors of history.”
The Ancestors Converged Again is a relatively rare example of figurative art in wood from this Ghanaian master. Using the expressive forms of the wood he gathered, Anatsui transforms scraps of wood into embodiments of once-distant, now-present spiritual and historical figures through minimal sculptural interventions and the process of ordering and re-ordering his sculptures.
The Ancestors Converged Again (1995) by El AnatsuiSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
One of the most conceptually innovative elements of El Anatsui’s sculptural practice is his openness—indeed, to some extent, his insistence upon—the idea that his sculptures may be reordered and reshaped each time they are installed.
Art, he insists, must reflect life and, in so doing, it must evolve and change to reflect the circumstances in which it is being deployed.
The Ancestors Converged Again (1995) by El AnatsuiSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
With that in mind, his Ancestors may be seen in Heroes to be thinking about their roles as vanguards for future collective action. Eyes wide, taking in the troubled current moment in which they have been called together, these ancestors confer—and plan their response.
Ghana's Big Six Leaders Heroes: Principles of African Greatness Medallion (2021) by UnknownSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Ghana's "Big Six" Leaders
They organized Ghana’s first political party, channeling constructive impatience into a campaign for independence.
Ebenezer Ako-Adjei
1916–2002, b. Adjeikrom, Ghana; worked in Accra
Edward Akufo-Addo
1906–1979, b. Dodowa, Ghana; worked in Accra
William Ofori Atta
1910–1988, b. Akyem Abuakwa, Ghana; worked in Accra
J.B. Danquah
1895–1965, b. Bepong, Ghana; worked in Accra
Kwame Nkrumah
1909–1972, b. Nkroful, Ghana; worked in Accra
Emmaneul Obetsebi-Lamptey
1902–1963, b. Ode, Ghana; worked in Accra
Ghana's "Big Six" Leaders - Principles of African Greatness Intro (2019) by Michael Briggs, Augustus (Gus) Casely-Hayford, and 2019Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
Ghanaian 10 cedi note depicting the Big Six (2007)Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
Unless Colonial Government is changed and a new Government of the people and their Chiefs installed at the centre immediately, the conduct of masses now completely out of control with strikes . . . will continue . . . Working Committee United Gold Coast Convention declare they are prepared and ready to take over interim Government.
We ask in name of oppressed, inarticulate, misruled and misgoverned people and their Chiefs that Special Commissioner be sent out immediately to hand over Government to interim Government of Chief and People and to witness immediate calling of Constituent Assembly.
—United Gold Convention leaders (Accra) to Secretary of State (London), telegram, February 28, 1948
Ghanaian 10 cedi note depicting the Big Six (2007)Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
· The ‘Big Six’ were the leaders of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), a political party founded by J.B. Danquah in 1947 to push for self-government.
· On Feb. 28, 1948, a peaceful demonstration in Accra for pay owed to veterans who fought for Britain in World War II was met with gunfire, killing three people. Horrified by the incident, the ‘Big Six’ called for full and immediate self-rule. They were all arrested.
· In prison, the group earned their collective nickname, and became a symbol for the country’s self-determination. One—Kwame Nkrumah—would use the added notoriety to build a new political party, which would eventually carry him to power.
Selections from the Heroes Playlist
Lord Kitchener – “Birth of Ghana”
Lyrics by Aldwyn Roberts (Lord Kitchener)
Lord Kitchener and His Mambo All-Stars. RCA Victor, 1956
Calypso
Selections from the Heroes Playlist
E.T. Mensah & the Tempos – “Ghana Freedom”
Lyrics by E.T. Mensah and His Tempos Band
Tempos Melodies. Decca, 1962.
Highlife
The Nasser Era and Om Kalsoum (1994) by Chant AvedissianSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Voices
Theirs were the inescapable voices of Egyptian possibilities.
The Nasser Era and Om Kalsoum
Chant Avedissian
1951–2018, b. Cairo, Egypt
Worked in Cairo
c. 1994
Mixed media on corrugated cardboard, cloth
Purchased with funds provided by the Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, 96-20-3
The Nasser Era and Om Kalsoum (1994) by Chant AvedissianSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
For the artist Chant Avedissian, who held on to a lifelong interest in the iconic images of Egyptian history, Gamal Abdel Nasser’s and Om Kalsoum’s pharaonic cultural influences filled his eyes—and ears.
Born in Cairo to the parents of refugees from Armenia, Avedissian deployed a variety of media, including photography, costume and textile design, and the sort of stencil work seen here, to reflect upon the complexities and contradictions of his experience of Egypt.
The Nasser Era and Om Kalsoum (1994) by Chant AvedissianSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
In this artwork, he visualizes the complicated, iconic, and unavoidable roles two larger-than-life Egyptians—Nasser and Kalsoum—played in that country’s mid-20th century.
He was the voice of Egypt’s political future, the military officer who helped overthrow the monarchy, led Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970, nationalized the Suez Canal from British and French interests, and became an icon, however fleetingly, of secular secular pan-Arab nationalism.
The Nasser Era and Om Kalsoum (1994) by Chant AvedissianSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
At the height of the Cold War, Gamal Abdel Nasser promoted a political philosophy of nonalignment and solidarity among formerly colonized peoples.
She was perhaps his only true rival on the mid-century radio. “The Voice,” not just of Egypt, but of the entire Arab-speaking world, Om Kalsoum was one of the 20th century’s most celebrated vocal artists.
The Nasser Era and Om Kalsoum (1994) by Chant AvedissianSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Her supreme talent, musical virtuosity, and glamour made her a global celebrity as she interpreted modern and classical Arab verse through improvisation and vocal stylization.
Sporting her trademark sunglasses and handkerchief, she stands above script that reads “سافر و شاهد” (“travel and see”), suggesting Kalsoum’s star-studded life of tours throughout the Arab world spreading, among other messages, Nasser’s central plank of Arab unity.
Gamal Nasser - Principles of African Greatness Title (2021) by Marc BretzfelderSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Gamal Abdel Nasser
He was the indomitable voice of Egypt’s revolutionary mid-century.
1918–1970, b. Alexandria, Egypt
Worked in Cairo
Gamal Abdel Nasser - Principles of African Greatness Intro (2019) by Michael Briggs and Augustus (Gus) Casely-HayfordSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Gamal Abdel Nasser (1950s) by Jean Dominique DalletSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Let them kill Nasser! What is Nasser but one among many? I am alive, and even if I die, all of you are Gamal Abdel Nasser!
—Gamal Abdel Nasser, after surviving an assassination attempt, 1954
· A military officer, Nasser helped to overthrow the monarchy, led Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970, nationalized the Suez Canal from British and French interests, and became an icon of secular pan-Arab nationalism.
Gamal Abdel Nasser (1950s) by Jean Dominique DalletSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
· Never short on ambition, Nasser saw himself as a potential leader for Arab-speaking countries, Africa, and the greater Islamic world. From 1958 to 1961, he led Egypt and Syria jointly in a United Arab Republic.
· Nasser’s legacy remains particularly complicated—he was a global symbol of anticolonial solidarity, built the Aswan Dam, and led the industrialization of Egypt. Yet, he also ruled a police state and fought and lost two wars with Israel.
Selections from the Heroes Playlist
Om Kalsoum – “Asbah ‘andy al-an Bondoqeya/ اصبح عندى الان بندقية” [“I Now Have a Rifle”]
Lyrics by Nizar Qabbani
Wataneyat I. Mazzika Group, 1961.
Arabic folk
Om Kalsoum - Principles of African Greatness Title (2021) by Marc BretzfelderSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Om Kalsoum
Om Kalsoum, “The Star of the East,” “Egypt’s Fourth Pyramid”—she was nothing less than The Voice.
1898–1975, b. El Senbellawein, Egypt
Worked in Cairo and globally
Om Kalsoum - Principles of African Greatness Intro (2019) by Michael Briggs and Augustus (Gus) Casely-HayfordSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Om Kalsoum (1965) by UnidentifiedSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
O Nile, you have been praised by God and celebrated in the Torah. The origin of civilization around you is a fact, and its outcome is your virtue. It was born and you were its cradle . . .
The people, who were privileged and protected over centuries, are thankful to you.
They express their gratitude to the Lord for His creation.
And may God keep on His blessings.
—“Al Nil,” Om Kalsoum signature song (lyrics by Ahmad Shawqi)
Om Kalsoum (1965) by UnidentifiedSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
· One of the 20th century’s most celebrated global vocal artists, Kalsoum was known for her talent, musical virtuosity, and glamour.
· Kalsoum interpreted modern and classical Arab verse through improvisation and vocal stylization. She was known to riff and extend a song at considerable length if the audience’s emotions were with her.
· Throughout the century’s turmoil, Kalsoum maintained a reputation as a patriotic Egyptian and a devout Muslim—and a good friend of Nasser’s.
Selections from the Heroes Playlist
Om Kalsoum – “Qaseedat Misr/ قصيدة مصر” [“Egypt’s Poem”]
Lyrics by Ibrahim Nagy
Wataneyat II. Mazzika Group, 1965.
Arabic folk
Tom Mboya (1959-09-07) by Eliot ElisofonSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Inspiring
He led a new generation into higher education and leadership.
Mboya greets students onboard the first “Kennedy airlift"
Eliot Elisofon
1911–1973, b. New York, N.Y.
Worked throughout Africa, 1947–72 Nairobi, Kenya
September 7, 1959
Vintage silver gelatin print
Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archive
Tom Mboya (1959-09-07) by Eliot ElisofonSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Tom Mboya was already accomplished, at the young age of 28, as the leader of a workers’ union and for his assumption of the mantle of Kenya’s nascent independence party, the Kenya African National Union (KANU). He met with then-Senator John F. Kennedy in 1959 to promote a campaign to bring hundreds of Kenyan students to the United States for higher education.
The effort already had the support of individuals like Jackie Robinson, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, and Martin Luther King Jr. Convinced by Mboya’s vision of the need to train a new generation of postcolonial leaders, the Kennedy Family Foundation agreed to fund the early “airlifts.”
Tom Mboya (1959-09-07) by Eliot ElisofonSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Graduating at the top of his class, he met and married American student Ann Dunham. Their son, Barack H. Obama Jr. was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961.
Thomas Mboya - Principles of African Greatness Title (2021) by Marc BretzfelderSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Tom Mboya
1930–1969, b. Kilima Mbogo, Kenya
Worked in Nairobi
Tom Mboya - Principles of African Greatness Intro (2019) by Michael Briggs and Augustus (Gus) Casely-HayfordSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Thomas Mboya (1959) by Elio ElisofonSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
I have news for you. There is no Superman. It’s up to us.
—Tom Mboya
Pan-Africanism is changing the arbitrary and often illogical boundaries set up by the colonial powers in their mad scramble for Africa. Many . . . are asking us what sort of governments we hope to set up when our freedom is won…
Thomas Mboya (1959) by Elio ElisofonSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
What we shall create should be . . . enriched by our ability to borrow . . . what is good from other systems, creating a synthesis of this with the best of our own systems and cultures.
—Tom Mboya, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, 1958
· A labor activist from an early age, Mboya organized his fellow Nairobi civil servants into the Kenya Local Government Workers’ Union in the early 1950s. Mboya became general secretary of the Kenya Federation of Labour, where he won an international profile by helping striking dock workers in Mombasa get a 33 percent pay raise.
Thomas Mboya (1959) by Elio ElisofonSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
· Mboya joined the nascent independence party, the Kenya African National Union (KANU). When the British banned the party and most of its leaders during the Mau Mau conflict, Mboya was entrusted with the party’s control.
· Mboya joined the nascent independence party, the Kenya African National Union (KANU). When the British banned the party and most of its leaders during the Mau Mau conflict, Mboya was entrusted with the party’s control.
Thomas Mboya (1959) by Elio ElisofonSmithsonian National Museum of African Art
· An outspoken critic of government corruption, Mboya was serving as a government minister when he was assassinated in 1969. The full story of his murder has never been determined.
Selections from the Heroes Playlist
Gabriel Omollo – “Tom Mboya”
Lyrics by Gabriel Omollo
Mr. Agoya. JoJo Records, 2014 [1969]
Benga
Curtis Mayfield – “People Get Ready”
Lyrics by Curtis Mayfield
People Get Ready. ABC-Paramount, 1965.
Soul
Africa Dances (1980) by Benedict Enwonwu MBESmithsonian National Museum of African Art
Dignity
She dances and sings her own truth, with poise and pride.
Africa Dances
Benedict Enwonwu MBE
1917–1994, b. Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria
Worked in Umuahia, Abia State and Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, and London
From the Africa Dances series
1980
Cold-cast bronze resin
Museum purchase, 2016-15-1