Connect with us

Ameyaw Meets

Kojo Asamoah-Caesar hopes to save Oklahoma Congressional District 1 from immoral leadership

Published

on

Kojo Asamoah-Caesar hopes to save Oklahoma Congressional District 1 from immoral leadership

Kojo Asamoah-Caesar became Democratic Party’s candidate for the Oklahoma Congressional District 1 seat, on June 30, 2020. This makes him the first-ever black person to win the nomination in the district, first-ever resident of North Tulsa, and the youngest ever Democratic Party nominee to run for U.S. Congress.

For Kojo, this historic feat is more than a dream come true. “The word dream means a lot in my family because my parents came from Ghana chasing the American Dream. They sacrificed and they worked hard but they weren’t able to fulfill that dream. But their son has had access to opportunities because of their sacrifice, so that has meant something to me. But I’ve realized that the dream can’t just be true for me, if it is not true for others as well. So I have committed my life to ensuring that opportunities are available to more and more people and that they can fulfill their dreams,” he remarked.

This philosophy has guided Kojo Asamoah-Caesar and shaped most of the decisions he has taken in his life, including the decision to run for congress. “After law school I decided to become a kindergarten teacher. I said, “ send me to where the need is highest” and that’s when they sent me to Tulsa, Oklahoma. I hadn’t been there before, but I just embraced the community, worked hard trying to be the change, and make the change for others.  In my career and service, I have arrived at this point where I feel like running for congress is the next best way I can really serve that cause and make a difference.”

Winning the nod in the Democratic primary was no fluke or a mere gesture to make history. Kojo’s campaign was unorthodox, by-passing the usual gatekeepers and processes.  “I understand that democracy is one person, one vote, and it is about a government for the people, by the people. So I went to the people and said this is who I am, these are my values, this is my story, this is the work I have been doing and now I want to step into this role to help us build an America as good as its promise; to help build an Oklahoma that works for everybody. People actually listened and were interested. We started making some noise and people were energized and wanted to be a part of it.”

According to Kojo he knew he could actually win the nomination when he took a trip to the rural parts of the district “ I was expecting that maybe they were not going to accept me. But they actually embraced me and they were some of the most passionate people I had ever met. So I realized that my story also resonated over there too. That was when I realized that we could actually make it happen, I shouldn’t just disqualify myself just because I am black or just because my parents are immigrants. “

Advertisement

Kojo Asamoah-Caesar hopes that his style of serving the public good with selfless leadership and service would win him the seat from Republican, Kevin Hern, who currently represents the district.  “The incumbent is someone who is more interested in serving his own interest and that of the rich. For instance congress passed the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) as a stimulus package to help small business as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. He owns McDonalds franchises, which are not really small businesses to begin with, yet he goes ahead of the line to get about $2 million in government loans for his business.  Meanwhile, small businesses that have challenges accessing such funds couldn’t get the stimulus package. What he did may not be illegal but it is immoral leadership.”

According to Kojo, his platform is based on…” what are the policies we need to put in place to give more people the opportunity to fulfill their highest potential? For me, it starts with education; we have to fund education adequately. We have to pay our teachers well so that we can attract the best teachers and ensure that the great teachers don’t leave our state.  We also have to start educating children very early.”

Asamoah-Caesar’s priorities are education and opportunity, health and economic security, justice and equity, environment and infrastructure.

“We have to get universal access to healthcare. That helps everybody. If you have healthcare when you come out of college, you can take a risk and start a business. A lot of graduates go looking for a job because their job will give them the benefit of healthcare.  So they wont take the risk of starting their own business, and that hurts our economy because now we have less businesses starting and less jobs being created.

“There is also the need to raise the minimum wage to a living wage. Justice and equity is also key.  We need to legalize marijuana not just because we want people doing drugs and getting high. In America where marijuana is legal recreationally in 11 states and medically in 33 states, it has been used to put a lot of black and brown people in prison. In Oklahoma, a lot of them are in prison for using or selling marijuana meanwhile in other states people are selling and using it legally. That is not moral, so we need to fix that. If that isn’t fixed then we will continue to have these racial tensions we see in the country and in our communities.”

Advertisement

Asamoa-Caesar was born to Ghanaian parents in Alexandria-Virginia, USA. His mother hails from Ejisu–Beasease in the Ashanti Region. At the age of two, he relocated to Ghana to live with his aunt and grandmother. He left for the US when he was ten. In 2008, he visited Ghana after graduating from college. In 2014, his best friend from Ghana got married and he returned again playing the role of Best Man.  He later visited Ghana in 2017 with his wife just after they got married. “ We plan to make it a yearly trip if we can. We just had a daughter and we want her to come to Ghana and see her roots,”he hints.

Kojo Asamoah-Caesar concludes by wading in conversations suggesting that African-Americans should come back home to Africa, in the heat of the Black Lives Matter protests.

People in Ghana, and the government need to give African-Americans the opportunity to experience their roots like it happened with the Year of Return.  Then, they can make a decision for themselves once they come back. Do they feel like this a place they see building a future for themselve, and being a part of the economy; helping to grow it? Or maybe it is just a place they just want to take trips to and bring their children to, every now and then. I think different people will make different decisions based on what suits them but I do feel that it is the responsibility of nations like Ghana to give people the opportunity to do that.”

Watch full interview below

Advertisement
Advertisement

Ameyaw Meets

Oprah Winfrey & Blitz Bazawule answer my questions about ‘The Color Purple’

Published

on

Oprah Winfrey & Blitz Bazawule answer my questions about ‘The Color Purple’

In April, I had the opportunity to join a Zoom Q&A session with Oprah Winfrey and Blitz Bazawule, courtesy FilmOne Distribution. The conversation was around the bold remake of ‘The Color Purple’ scheduled for release this Christmas!   (more…)

Continue Reading

Ameyaw Meets

Asari Music highlights new single ‘Like Dat’, balancing college with music and more

Published

on

Asari Music

Week-in week-out I get to interview one of the many faces in showbiz and this week on Ameyaw Meets, Asari Music is the one. She’s a young, upcoming and very talented Ghanaian-American singer – who in case you haven’t heard, is out with the hottest song you might hear all week. (more…)

Continue Reading

People & Lifestyle

I single-handedly popularized Shea Butter in the United States – Margaret Andega

Published

on

shea

According to Margaret Andega, a Kenyan entrepreneur in Atlanta, she was the driving force behind the commercialization of Shea Butter in the US during the late 90s. (more…)

Continue Reading

People & Lifestyle

He went from cooking on Instagram to owning a food truck in Atlanta and more… the story of Quabena’s Kitchen

Published

on

story of Quabena’s Kitchen

The COVID-19 pandemic birthed many opportunities for people all over the globe. For one Ghanaian living in the US, the pandemic reconnected him with his passion which has now become a full-time job.

Quabena’s Kitchen shared with me his story about how he went from cooking for family and friends, to sharing content of his cooking on Instagram page at the height of the pandemic, which has now transformed into a thriving catering business in Atlanta, Georgia.

Quabena’s Kitchen services now include a food truck providing Ghanaian and West African delicacies to Africans and non-Africans alike, with ambitions of a restaurant on the cards!

Watch this exciting story on Ameyaw TV below:

Advertisement

Read Also: The chef behind Fufu Pizza is about to open Afro-Fusion Cafe in Atlanta

 

Continue Reading

Ameyaw Meets

The chef behind Fufu Pizza is about to open Afro-Fusion Cafe in Atlanta

Published

on

IMG 9777

US-based Liberian professional chef, Chauncy Yarngo caught the attention of the world with his amazing creations such as fufu pizza, fufu taco, plantain burgers and more. (more…)

Continue Reading

Fashion

Why Ghanaian-American Jeffrey Ampratwum is the menswear expert to watch in fashion!

Published

on

Jeffrey featured image

At the start of the Victoria era, early 19th century – the English began to tone down the royal style dressing of the French army, namely those adorned in prestigious regalia and heavy embroidery. It was a sign of English nationalism and sparked a new wave of appearance in men. A few decades later, the suit was born and heavily influenced those in Italy and America. The British and the Americans have a rich revolutionary history, of course, and coincidentally the British colonized the African country – Gold Coast – until 1957 when they declared their independence and changed their name to Ghana. 

 

As part of an independent Ghana, a host of individuals began to exercise new freedoms and venture out of the country into new territories. Many Ghanaians set their eyes on American travel and a wave of trail blazers left the country and settled in the infamous New York City. For most, it was an opportunity to plant new seeds in the hopes that their children would be afforded even more opportunities for a prosperous life.

 

One of these children of the diaspora is Bronx-born Jeffrey Ampratwum. The only child to Kate Bampoe and Eugene Asante-Ampratwum Mpere, who met in the Bronx after immigrating from Ghana. The dynamics of having African parents and being raised in a heavily eclectic environment gave rise to Jeffreys style and prose. More importantly, we can honestly say that there are only a handful of Ghanaian-Americans living in the states that can exhibit a special presentation that reflects both their African heritage married with the esthetic of their nationality. We recently caught up with Jeffrey to discuss how his early influences provided him with a framework to now become such a strong force in the menswear industry in fashion.

Advertisement

 

Jeffrey. 

AD: Jeffrey, Ɛte sɛn?

 

Jeff: Haha, Eye.

 

Advertisement

AD: I had to test your Twi really quick! You know most Ghanaians who are born in the states dont have a clue about the language unless its spoken fiercely in the home.

 

Jeff: You are 100% correct with that. Ha. But for me, I was lucky in that my mother took me to Ghana before I even knew how to use words. So, in actuality, Twi was the first language and vocabulary I learned, and in essence, English is my second language. So, Im really decent when it comes to using Twi. Im a cheat code! But keep that quiet. Ha.

  

AD: How much of the remnants of the Ghanaian culture factored into your approach to your style and presentation?

Advertisement

 

Jeff: When I was younger and in school, particularly in the Bronx – it wasnt always your proudest moment to be from Africa or to say your family was African. Part of the silly embarrassment was perhaps from the narratives that were spinning on television. Americans were being indoctrinated with visuals of feed the children” which only highlighted the extreme poverty in a few Africans countries. The images and broadcasts were all the same, for decades. So called philanthropist and humanitarians took camera crews into ravaged areas and televised starving children for us to see here in the states. I believe that had a profound effect on young boys and girls born from African parents.

Jeffrey

However, as for me – I always looked at being dark skinned and being deeply rooted into my African culture as a super power. I liked the idea of being different, even though all the kids in all my classes were also children of immigrants. They just couldnt grasp the concept of it at that time. So, from there, it was showtime. My Uncle, Joseph Ken Mintah – was the pioneer as the first in the family to travel to the states – he had extreme style. My mother also is very detailed with her sense of jewelry and fragrances. I adsorbed it all. 

 

AD: Did you start dressing in traditional African attire? What do you mean exactly?

Advertisement

 

Jeff: Not exactly! But, being an only child really allowed for me to sit deep in thought for long periods of time. Being left-handed allowed for me to be extremely dexterous and detailed. And being raised solely by my mother further allowed me to pay attention to the importance of clothing and accessories – as she dressed herself each morning. It was the ultimate cocktail and I was already drunk with creativity. I started customizing all the clothes I had. By no means were we wealthy, so I had to manage just a few outfits for school.

 

My styling began when I would turn 5 outfits into 15 – so essentially, a 5-day school week became New York Fashion Week for me. I would airbrush my sneakers, turn Old Navy sweaters inside out for a fleece appeal, and cuff my jeans in 4 different ways depending on my footwear. This soon became a bad habit and made me late for school many mornings.

 

Advertisement

AD: You see, if you are late to school in Ghana back then – you might as well have sat by the road to hide from both your mother and headmaster! What was college like for you then?

 

Jeff: Right! Ha. It grew legs during my undergrad. Now all the pretty girls were around, I had more freedom to come and go, and more importantly – I had a stage to showcase my style. I joined a student club in the SEEK Program, and soon became the President and started hosting a string of events based around fashion. 4 years and a bachelors degree later, there were 6 fashion shows and 3 beauty pageants under my belt. Huge successes. I started to doubt my real educational reason for attending college, which was to become a dentist. Fashion was dancing on one shoulder and dentistry on the other. But somehow, I figured out how to still involve the two. My best buddy, Kenny – whom I met at the college on the road to become dentists – made it through. So, I live vicariously through him. And now, coincidentally – together we’ve developed a brand – a service of bespoke mens luxury shoes and women’s handbags, and ready to wear womenswear shoes as well. Named, Kenjeffreys. It is serendipitous because all of the products are sourced and handcrafted in Haiti and infused with Ghanaian culture. As Kenny is from Haiti, we properly employ artisans within the community and focus heavily on our social impact.

Following undergrad, I then began at FIT as student, really just trying to test my styling hand – and to learn more about the industry. While there, I came across extremely talented and knowledgeable fashion professionals that have really guided me. Namely, Sadia Seymour and Joseph DeAcetis. Both wildly experienced, patient and embedded with a wealth of information. Respectfully in womenswear and menswear. You cannot beat that, and I am grateful for it.

Advertisement

 

AD: That is strangely unique and admirable. Talk to us about how all those experiences and inspirations give rise to the Jeffrey or Che we see today and ultimately, where that places you in your field of fashion and menswear.

 

Jeff: Sure. Great point. I have been indoctrinated by the basic principles of creativity as an adolescent – with respect to clothing. That is extremely hard to shake. Innately, styling was my ultimate form of communication, seeing that I was a shy introvert. So now, I still revert back to those same feelings…. the feeling of home, warmth, memories, great food and innocent fun. My approach now is exactly the same in the sense that when I am dressing, styling or designing for someone – I am taking into account their entire repertoire and holding a mirror in front of them which reflects the items that they love most. It is a skill that perhaps only empaths are only able to exhibit.

 

Advertisement

Having the ability to read into thoughts and connecting with the motivating spirits that drives people – is a gift. I ran the New York City marathon three times, and the 2nd time I ran it in a tuxedo! It was my ultimate homage and pledging of allegiance to fashion. Ha.

WhatsApp Image 2022 05 18 at 2.20.33 PM

I also believe my extensive traveling experience has aided to the arsenal. Recent trips to Ghana always resets a creative instinct with me, as I look around and arrive back to a place of self-awareness. It feels right. My cousin Harry knows where to be to capture the real essence of the land. And, coincidentally enough, I am often back and forth to the UK as well. Savile row in London, England -as you know – is a menswear connoisseurs Disney Land. It is the traditional hub for the world’s best tailored-bespoke suits. Naples and Florence are a close second. However, sartorially, the British have etched their names in the fine-art making of the suit. I do though spend most of my time in Brighton, UK. Its where my love is and also like a second home for me. The culture there is infused with various styles and the community is inviting. The Duchess of Brighton-Hove, Lady Donna and her amazing friends will assure that you have a great time! 

 

AB: Finally, talk to us about your styling approach with respect to specific talent that you work with.

 

Advertisement

Jeff: Definitely. This is perhaps an area you cannot teach. It is learned with years of experience and even reading the room wrong most times. I tell my fashion students often that they have to continue shooting airballs at the basket. Get out the miss shots, now – and properly learn your subjects. For example, if I am styling a celebrity for the red carpet – several nuances are to be considered before arriving at a dress or a tuxedo. Such as, what stages in life is your talent currently in, how body conscious are they and what are they most nostalgic about. These (and some of my other secrets that I cannot give away) are the pillars to nailing great style, image and presentation.

WhatsApp Image 2022 05 18 at 2.20.33 PM 1 

If I am shooting for a magazine in a studio – its party time. If you are not dancing as a model or grooving as a photographer, you are are in the wrong business, per say! Haha. With me, you are very liable to hear everyone from Bob Marley, James Brown, MJ, and Jay-Z to Queen, Lady Gaga, Biggie, Nas and Beyonce all on the same playlist. I say that to say: I enjoy what I do in fashion, and I will always represent the joys of that. I believe that is what makes me an enigma in this industry. Always professional however, but make it subjective and inject areas of your creativity wherever you can. Particularly in menswear – I keep a very intimate and close pulse on traditional, casual and street styles of these sub genres – and study them gravely like the science they are. That all still comes from sitting deep in thought as I did
Continue Reading

Trending