Black Members Of Congress Wearing Kente Cloth For The State Of The Union Address (2018)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series about some members of the United States Congressional Black Caucus wearing kente cloth stoles or sashes for President Donald Trump's State Of The Union Addresses (2018 and 2019)

Part I present article excerpts and video documentation of some members of the United States Congressional Black Caucus wearing kente cloth stoles or sashes for President Donald Trump's State Of The Union Address (2018).

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/02/black-members-of-congress-wearing-kente_6.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. Part II presents video documentation of some members of the United States Congressional Black Caucus wearing kente cloth stoles or sashes for President Donald Trump's State Of The Union Addresses (2019).

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these articles and YouTube videos.
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Click https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kente_cloth for general information about kente cloth. Also, click ttp://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/wearing-kente-cloth-stoles-during.html "Wearing Kente Cloth Stoles During Graduation Ceremonies" for one of several previous pancocojams post about the African American custom of wearing kente cloth to symbolize African heritage and as an expression of achievement.

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ARTICLE EXCERPTS ABOUT BLACK MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WEARING KENTE CLOTH FOR THE STATE OF THE UNION 2018
Excerpt #1:
From https://thegrio.com/2018/01/31/story-behind-kente-cloths-worn-black-members-congress-sotu/ The story behind the kente cloth worn by Black members of Congress at Trump’s SOTU
From kente cloths to all-black clothing, Democrats came to Trump's State of the Union ready to resist.
By Natasha S. Alford -January 31, 2018
"Black members of Congress made sure they would be heard last night, even if President Donald Trump was doing all the talking.

Members of the CBC (Congressional Black Caucus) wore brightly colored yellow, green, black and red kente cloth accents to President Trump’s first State of the Union address, as a sign of defiance against his “sh*thole* comments about African and Caribbean countries.

“The whole idea was to show support for Africa, particularly after the President called Africa and Haiti s-holes,” said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) in an exclusive interview with theGrio. “We thought it would be important for us to demonstrate our support in some way.”

Rep. Waters hosted a “State of the Union Clapback” event on Capitol Hill on Tuesday night for millennials, inviting dozens of Members of Congress to explain why they were boycotting or protesting at the State of the Union. Also invited, was Titi Wreh, a local fashion and jewelry designer who designed the kente cloths.

Ironically, Wreh is African immigrant. She came to the United States in 1985 to attend Spelman College and now owns a shop, Chez Kevito, in Takoma Park, MD.

Wreh created the 55 scarves at the request of Congresswoman Yvette Clark’s office and was on hand at the “State of the Union Clapback” with her sewing machine and iron to help Members of Congress properly adorn themselves.

“When I got in the hallway and saw them, it hit me,” says Wreh, who explained that woven kente cloths originated in Ghana and are normally worn by royalty. “I was more excited to be there, knowing they were protesting.”

“What [Trump] said about the continent of Africa and the countries they are in… at the time he said this, he was talking to the people about immigration policy,” Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) told theGrio. “Which means that conceivably, a race-based immigration policy can be developed masquerading as merit-based.”

Representatives also took issue with the president’s reported remarks expressing a preference for certain type of immigrants.

“To eliminate diversity visas targets people of color,” said Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) in an interview with theGrio. “How dare you? And to say you want more people like Norway? The president has been very clear, diversity has no value with him.”

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Excerpt #2:
From https://abc7.com/politics/black-caucus-wears-traditional-african-garb-to-sotu-in-protest/3009321/ Congressional Black Caucus dons traditional African garb in protest of 's---hole countries' remark
Danny Clemens, Tuesday, January 30, 2018
"WASHINGTON -- Members of the Congressional Black Caucus wore traditional African attire in a show of protest against President Trump's alleged 's---hole countries remark.'

The kente worn by the legislators is an icon of African heritage. It is identified by its "dazzling, multicolored patterns of bright colors, geometric shapes and bold designs," according to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art .

"Wearing kente cloth to the #SOTU with my fellow @OfficialCBC Members to stand in solidarity with people from you-know-what countries," Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., tweeted about the demonstration on Tuesday evening.

The Democratic Women's Working Group also organized a demonstration encouraging those who will attend to wear black in solidarity with the Time's Up movement.

In 2017, the same group wore white to Trump's first joint address to Congress."...

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VIDEO EXAMPLES OF BLACK CAUCUS MEMBERS WEARING KENTE CLOTH AT THE STATE OF THE UNION 2018
Video #1: Moments of protest during Trump's State of the Union address [2018]



Guardian News, Published on Jan 31, 2018

While Republicans responded to Trump's speech with ecstatic applause, Democrats used the opportunity to protest. The minority leader Nancy Pelosi wore black in solidarity with #MeToo and members of the Congressional Black Caucus wore kente cloth in reference to Trump's 'sh&thole* countries' comments
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The scenes of Black Caucus members wearing a kente cloth stole begins at .52 in this video.

A "stole" is placed around a person's neck with both ends hanging down in the front.

A "sash" is the cloth doubled up so that one end hangs over one shoulder.

*This word is fully spelled out in this summary.

Notice that Black Caucus aren't wearing the same color combinations/patterns of kente cloth.

Also notice that Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi isn’t wearing any kente cloth.

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Video #2: Minority Lawmakers Hear Division in Trump Speech



AP Archive, Published on Feb 6, 2018

(31 Jan 2018) While some praised President Donald Trump for his ability to stay on message and strike a more presidential tone during his State of the Union speech, others pointed out his remarks and stance were out of step with his actions and could not be erased in an 80-minute speech.

"President Trump can pause his Twitter habits long enough to deliver a prepared speech to a national TV audience, but isn't doing anything real to bring us together or improve the lives of everyday Americans," New Jersey Congressman Cory Booker said in a statement after the State of the Union. "President Trump has demonstrated a remarkable ability to divide people and pit Americans against one another."
Many black lawmakers had made up their minds even before Tuesday's address, with some attending the speech wearing black to show their displeasure with Trump. Several also further accessorized their dissent with Kente cloth sashes, a nod to the president's comments earlier this month about "sh&thole* countries" in Africa, and buttons with the name of Recy Taylor, a black woman gang raped by white men in Jim Crow Alabama who died in December at the age of 97.

"There was nothing to clap for, nothing to be happy about, nothing to smile about and nothing to be applauding about," said New Jersey Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, who was in the audience and ordered the Taylor buttons worn by some members. "He takes credit for things he has no right to take credit for. He really did not speak to how racist he's been or xenophobic he's been or sexist he's been, so he really didn't speak to the things that I expected him to or would want him to have addressed."
Others, like Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California, and Congressman Al Green of Texas _ all Democrats _ skipped the speech entirely.

"I'm part of those who decided that we would protest outside as a matter of principle to say to the president, 'We disapprove of what you're doing,'" Green said Tuesday night. "We disapprove of your trying to implement your insightful hateful commentary into policy."
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*This word is fully spelled out in this summary.

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This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.

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