This past week, we stood among thousands of faces at the Nkyinkyim Museum in Ghana, a cultural landmark in Ada where art, memory, and history converge to preserve the legacy of Africa’s past and its unbroken connection to the present.

At the heart of the Nkyinkyim museum lies The Ancestor Project, created by celebrated Ghanaian artist Kwame Akoto-Bamfo. The installation is a field of sculpted figures, each carrying the sorrow, strength, and silence of those captured and sold into slavery from West Africa. These life-sized clay and concrete statues are not abstract forms, but rather, they are portraits. Each one reflects the lives of real men, women, and children whose lives were torn apart. With every carved expression, visitors are reminded that slavery was not only history, it was real and human, and a reminder that every ancestor taken from home against their will had a face, a name, and a dream.

The Middle Passage Remembered

The Ancestor Project is a powerful memorial to the transatlantic slave trade and its devastating impact on West Africa. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, millions of Africans were captured, shackled, and forced onto ships that crossed the Atlantic Ocean in what came to be known as the Middle Passage.

For weeks or months, enslaved Africans endured unimaginable conditions—crammed below decks, chained, and stripped of their dignity. Disease, starvation, and abuse claimed countless lives before ships ever reached the Americas. Historians estimate that more than two million Africans perished during the journey, their bodies cast into the sea.

By visiting the Nkyinkyim Museum in Ghana and experiencing The Ancestor Project firsthand, history is transformed from numbers on a page into lived, visible testimony. Walking through the installation feels like stepping into a sea of silent voices, each figure speaking not in words but through presence, reminding us that they lived, they mattered, and they must never be forgotten.

Art as Archive and Resistance at Nkyinkyim

Kwame Akoto-Bamfo describes The Ancestor Project as more than sculpture; it is an archive of memory. Unlike history books that often sanitize or reduce the scale of enslavement, the work forces us to feel the weight of what was lost.

The ground itself at the Nkyinkyim Museum feels heavy with unspoken stories. These sculptures remind us that remembrance is not passive, it is resistance, and to forget is to allow erasure, but to remember is to breathe life back into our ancestors.

In this way, the museum serves as both a cultural landmark and a sacred space of mourning, reflection, and education. It confronts the uncomfortable truths about slavery while also affirming the resilience and humanity of those who endured it.

Why the Nkyinkyim Museum in Ghana Matters Today

In a world where the past is often rewritten, softened, or ignored, institutions like the Nkyinkyim Museum in Ghana ensure that future generations can stand face-to-face with history—not only through words, but through presence and spirit.

The museum is more than a collection of art; it is a living classroom, a reminder of how far-reaching the impact of slavery remains. The legacies of displacement, systemic inequality, and cultural erasure continue to shape societies across Africa and the diaspora. By keeping memory alive, the museum and The Ancestor Project offer not only healing but also a space for dialogue about justice, identity, and belonging.

A Call to Remember

For us at the African Narrative Network, our visit to the Nkyinkyim Museum in Ghana was a journey through history but also a call to action. The Ancestor Project reminds us that we are the living continuation of stories that were almost silenced. It teaches us that remembrance is a duty not just to honor the past but to shape a future where dignity, justice, and humanity prevail.

To walk among the ancestor project is to feel the eyes of our ancestors upon us, urging us never to forget. And in remembering, we resist the silence that history too often demands.

Follow The African Narrative Network. 

Pharaoh Ramses II

Today on African Narrative Network (ANN), we visit Egypt, where the mighty Nile winds through the desert like an eternal ribbon, to explore the life of a king whose legacy still echoes across millennia—Pharaoh Ramses II, often called “Ramses the Great.” His reign, from 1279 to 1213 BC, spanned an extraordinary 66 years, making him not only one of Egypt’s longest-serving pharaohs but also one of its most powerful and influential.

A King Destined for Glory

Born into the 19th Dynasty, Pharaoh Ramses II ascended the throne at the age of 24, following in the footsteps of his father, Seti I, who had already begun restoring Egypt’s greatness. But Ramses had ambitions that would surpass even his father’s accomplishments. From the very beginning, he envisioned a legacy so vast that it would be immortalized not just in the annals of history, but in the stone and sand of Egypt itself.

Pharaoh Ramses II The Warrior Pharaoh

Pharaoh Ramses II’s reign began with a fierce determination to expand and protect his empire. He led military campaigns far and wide, from the deserts of Nubia in the south to the fertile lands of the Levant in the north. His most famous military engagement, the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittites, would go down in history not only for its scale but also for its political significance.

Although the battle itself ended in a tactical stalemate, Ramses II declared it a triumph. In fact, this “victory” was so important to his image that he had it immortalized in stone on the walls of temples across Egypt. His masterful use of propaganda reinforced his reputation as a great warrior king, further cementing his status as Egypt’s protector and conqueror.

Yet, what truly made Ramses a remarkable leader was not just his ability to wage war, but his diplomatic acumen. The famous Egyptian-Hittite peace treaty, often considered the world’s first recorded peace accord, was signed during his reign—marking a turning point in Egypt’s international relations.

The Builder King

Beyond his prowess on the battlefield, Pharaoh Ramses II was a visionary builder. He oversaw the construction of more temples, statues, and monuments than any other pharaoh in Egyptian history. His projects were as monumental as his ambition, and they remain some of Egypt’s most iconic landmarks to this day.

The temples at Abu Simbel, perhaps his greatest architectural achievement, stand as a testament to his reign. Carved directly into the cliffs overlooking the Nile, these towering statues of Pharaoh Ramses II himself stand guard, gazing out over the land he ruled. The sheer scale of Abu Simbel is breathtaking—a visual statement of the pharaoh’s power and divine status.

The Ramesseum, his mortuary temple in Thebes, was another grand project. This sprawling complex was filled with statues, inscriptions, and carvings glorifying the life of Ramses. Though much of it now lies in ruins, the grandeur and ambition of the temple remain palpable, offering a glimpse into the mind of a ruler who wanted to be remembered for eternity.

Ramses II’s contributions to the city of Luxor, particularly his additions to the Temple of Karnak, also leave a lasting imprint on Egypt’s cultural landscape. He added vast courtyards, towering obelisks, and magnificent statues, all designed to awe and inspire those who came to worship.

The Divine King

In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh was not just a king but a god. Ramses II took this divine status seriously, emphasizing his connection to the gods in both life and death. Many of his statues depict him seated beside gods such as Amun-Ra, the king of the Egyptian pantheon.Pharaoh Ramses II presented himself as their equal, reinforcing the idea that his rule was sanctioned by divine forces.

One of the most striking examples of this divine association is found in the Colossi of Memnon, massive statues of Ramses that once flanked the entrance to his mortuary temple. These statues were not merely political propaganda; they were designed to convey his godlike stature and eternal power. Even in death, Ramses sought to transcend mortality, ensuring that his legacy would endure as long as the Nile itself.

Ramses the Family Man

Despite his divine persona, Pharaoh Ramses II was also a family man. He is believed to have fathered over 100 children with his many wives and concubines. His favorite wife, Queen Nefertari, was not only his beloved companion but also a powerful figure in her own right. Ramses had a magnificent tomb built for her in the Valley of the Queens, adorned with beautiful murals and inscriptions that extol her beauty and wisdom. His devotion to Nefertari is one of the most poignant aspects of his legacy—a reminder that even the most powerful of kings had a personal, human side.

The Legacy of Ramses II

After ruling for 66 years—longer than most ancient Egyptians lived—Pharaoh Ramses II died at the age of 90, leaving behind a kingdom stronger than when he had inherited it. He was buried in the Valley of the Kings, where his mummified remains were discovered in 1881, more than 3,000 years after his death. Even in death, his body was treated as a relic of divine power, his life continuing to influence not only Egypt but the wider ancient world.

To this day, Pharaoh Ramses II is remembered not just as a pharaoh, but as a legend. His military conquests, diplomatic triumphs, and architectural wonders have ensured that his name is etched into history. His reign symbolizes the height of ancient Egypt’s power and prestige. Through his colossal monuments and immortal legacy, Ramses the Great achieved what he set out to do—he became eternal.

As we walk through the temples and tombs of Egypt today, it’s hard not to feel the presence of Ramses II—his towering statues gazing down, reminding us that even in the vast expanse of time, his legacy still reigns supreme.