It is a well documented fact that December in Ghana was officially the ‘lituation’.
From Hollywood A-listers like Boris Kudjoe, Bozoma Saint-John Idris Elba and Naomi Campbell visiting to Ghanaians in the diaspora celebrating the Yuletide season here, Ghana was the hub for all the enjoyment.
One of the many Hollywood stars who were in Ghana for entertainment and connecting with fans was none other than the sexy and admirable U.S rapper, model and actor, Daniel Dwayne Simmons III commonly known as Diggy Simmons.
Diggy is widely known for his appearances in MTV’s reality show, Run’s House which featured his dad Rev Run Simmons, his mum and other siblings.
After breaking the Internet with tweets of his arrival and videos of him doing the “Shaku Shaku”, Diggy finally left the shores of Ghana and had a lot to say about his experience in Ghana.
In an emotional post on Instagram, he acknowledge the bad press Africa has received over the years and how he sad he after touring the Cape Coast Castles which were used a slave depots during the Transatlantic slave trade.
He wrote:
Perhaps I’m ignorant. Perhaps I have been for some time now. Many of my perceptions, or misperceptions rather, were overdue to be rightfully shattered. It’s a shame—as one with many friends from Cameroon, Nigeria, and other countries throughout the continent of Africa—that I have remained so unaware. These friends raved about their homelands, and somehow their praise fell upon deaf ears, in part due to that as a child, Africa, to me, seemed branded as less than alluring. The media and my societal narrative has often viewed Africa with a lens of violence, poverty, and underdevelopment. This portrayal has caused generations of Africans to abandon their own heritage and traditions. During my trip to Ghana, I can’t say I’ve ever felt more comfortable in a space. I don’t think I stopped my Shaku Shaku from the time I got off the plane. Every stereotype that’s been perpetuated never pointed to me feeling this free. I was also fortunate enough to visit the slave dungeons in Cape Coast—small quarters where over a hundred of my potential ancestors were held captive on any given day with no nourishment, suffering in their own feces and urine. As heartbreaking as it was to stand on those grounds, my takeaway—apart from feeling both inspired and devastated—was a galvanized sense of pride. I felt as if I gained a more authentic and emboldened sense of self, furthering my own understanding of endurance through my ancestors’ plight. Thank you to @boriskodjoe @nicoleariparker@badassboz @thedebonairdisciple for the introduction to my truth. My year couldn’t have began with more clarity.
📸@joshuakissi
styling: @nana.kwasi.wiafe
Hey Diggy, we hope you come again soon and share your knowledge of Ghana and Africa to the rest of the world.
