Family photograph, 1985, Benin City, Nigeria. Photo courtesy of Ani family.
This photo of my mother was taken at her job at the waiting area of Uncle Slim Printing Press in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria in 1985. She was 21 years old and had moved from Unogbo village to the city, and would later move to America in 1992.
This photo of my mother symbolizes the cultural diffusion of the time and how the global influence of black American pop culture in the 1980s parallels the cultural exchange between Africa and America in the new millennium.
Someone once told me that the world is more exposed to America than America is to the world. But now, I see glimpses of Africa in America more every day. Traditional African style has permeated modern black style in America, as the colorful wax prints have ascended to a global fashion phenomenon. West Africans use ankara fabric for everyday clothing. The more formal aso oke fabric is used to make women’s wrapper sets in Nigeria for celebratory special occasions.
Story from Ivie Ani, @cashmerethoughtsss
