We Should All Be Ashamed.

Writing this piece I am emotional. I am almost too shaken to write. My heart is heavy and I am disgusted to say the least.

This year marks the 8th annual Chale Wote Street Art Festival in Accra, Ghana. As an African woman when I first learned of Chale Wote, circa 2013, I was beyond thrilled; ecstatic, even elated that such a creative and inclusive arts festival was taking place in a country that I have so much regard and reverence for. I then learned one of the co-founders and, dare I say, the “brains behind the operation” was an African American woman, Dr. Sionne Rameah Neely, and the other a native of Ghana, Mantse Aryeequaye.

Dr. Neely’s presence and powerful position in the Accra [dot] Alt organization gave me hope, inspired and even instilled a sense of strength and empowerment in me. This newfound sentiment of belonging and prominence really changed my outlook on life as an African woman and expanded the boundaries of what I knew to be possible for a globally marginalized human being like myself. Her status in the creative art scene in Accra, as well as in the diaspora, meant a lot to me and I’m sure to so many other women of color, who know about the festival, from around the world. Dr. Neely’s achievement of having co-created the largest festival in West Africa, especially with her not being from Ghana, says to every African woman on this earth “You are strong. You are intelligent. You are able and well equipped to defy the odds and achieve ANYTHING you desire.” Finally, we as brilliantly melanin-rich women are rising to the heights of those who wish to stifle and erase us and are staring our oppressors in the face saying, “We too have a voice. We too have power. We too will prevail”. Or so I thought.

I learned Dr. Sionne Rameah Neely was beaten, brutalized and threatened by her romantic and business partner Mantse Aryeequaye earlier this year. There have been numerous whispers throughout the art scene in Accra, but overall silence and complicity by most. I am repulsed for so many reasons, all of which I will state below.

First, the art scene in Accra often champions itself to be filled with artists and activists who make bold claims with their work about seeking to make a change concerning issues of womens’ empowerment, LGBTQ+ rights, neocolonialism and anti-capitalism. Many of them espouse avant-gardist tendencies relevant for our time, our continent and around the world. Yet, I see many of these symbolic activists, whom I will name forthcoming, not only consenting with their silence, but overtly enabling the brutal, sociopathic, and criminal Mantse Aryeequaye by being uncritical of him, working with him, and promoting his events via their social media profiles and so on.

Through programming for this year’s festival, for instance, numerous assertions have been made about “making space for women”. I wonder how this once creative vessel, known throughout the world as an inclusive, creative arts incubator (which has now merely evolved into a fan fair spectacle), can be the source of this misleading propaganda, given the entire organization is hiding what has happened to its co-founder Dr. Neely? Here is the link to the post that shows at least six different women artists both local and international, engaging in a conversation regarding this claim of space-making for women with one of them being the digital photographer Josephine Ngminvielu Kuuire. I cannot resolve the absolute contradiction existing between the subject matter Josephine Kuuire deals with in her work and her silence on the abuse of Dr. Neely given her relationship to the victim.

Josephine is a close friend of Dr. Neely’s and knows well of the abuse her friend has suffered at the hand of her partner. Yet she is still working closely with Mantse Aryeequaye by participating as one of the in-house photographers for the festival and is also displaying photography work in the festival. In 2016 Josephine opened a digital photography exhibition titled Second Chance at the Brazil House, which is home to the Accra [dot] Alt camp. The content of the work exhibited was described saying, “Josephine uses intimacy as an instrument of resistance and a mechanism to trigger a healing process while also inhabiting a reality that persists in normalizing social repression” (Accra[dot]Alt). Through her work we know she is well aware of the “social repression” of women both in Ghana and abroad. What is even more disturbing is in 2017 Josephine Ngminvielu Kuuire and Dr. Sionne Rameah Neely collaborated on a mixed media exhibition titled Mixtape Notes To The Shadows, which used “art to show the complex process of healing” (okayafrica.com). In the article written by Hakeem Adam for Okay Africa the exhibition is described further:

“In Ghanaian society, which is predominantly patriarchal, issues like sexual violence and harassment are treated as shadows, suppressed and left to brood in the dark, unspoken and unaddressed. Despite the undocumented number of people who are tormented by these shadows, it’s hard to confront something that society does not believe exists in the way that you experience it.

“Dr. Sionne Rameah Neely and Josephine Ngminvielu Kuuire, who are artists and survivors of sexual violence, decided to draw out these demons and shadows by leaving notes for them through art. Mixtape Notes To The Shadows, their collaborative mixed media exhibition and performance, was an open surgery on sexual trauma inviting witnesses as they chart their respective journeys to healing.”

It is clear both Josephine Kuuire and Dr. Neely are aware of the plight many women face in contemporary Ghanaian society, particularly concerning abuse and the way silence works against women in such a society. Yet in this instance regarding Dr. Neely’s own abuse, they have chosen a position of silence. We need to ask them why! Why are you ladies choosing not to speak? What are you gaining from your locus of silence? And for Josephine Ngminvielu Kuuire in particular, how can you do this to your friend? Your sister! You, “Josie” are neither a friend nor an ally of any woman in anyway. No! You are just as inexcusable as the perpetrator. You are guilty via association and collusion. You should be ashamed of yourself and you will be held accountable!

This is where we see an epitomizing example of patriarchy proliferating with the consent and help of many in a community of so-called women’s rights activists. And it is this type of complicity that is extremely dangerous and violent because it gives the illusion of inclusivity and safety, meanwhile aiding and abetting a visceral predator that thrives on relationships where there is no accountability or criticality to keep him in check locally, thus empowering him to terrorize victims outside of his internal dominion. The abuse that has occurred and the conspiracy of silence being used as a vessel to secure Mantse Aryeequaye, by all who know in the community, is hard evidence that Ghana, much like the rest of the world still has a long way to go to eradicate the oppressive system of hetero-patriarchy.

I find the instance in Accra especially venomous because many of Dr. Neely’s close friends (like “Josie”), and others whom are close to the Accra [dot] Alt camp and who are aware of the abuse, have prominent reputations in mainstream culture that give them access to large audiences domestically and internationally, yet they are hushed. Why? We must ask the crucial question of why! Why is this abuse being shrouded in secrecy? Is it due to the threats Dr. Neely is receiving from the devious Mantse Aryeequaye or is there more to the story that is complicating the situation?

Two examples of such people who have the favorability of public arena and international acclaim are Nana Akosua Hanson and Jessica Horn; women who are proud feminists and regarded as such by the continental and diaspora community. Both are also former co-workers of Dr. Neely at the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF). Understand, I’m not saying these women are to blame for the general community’s complicity; however, I am perplexed that such powerful feminists are in the know and are remaining silent. I want the truth as to why. We should all seek the truth.

Hanson’s feminist resume is extraordinary. On the AWDF webpage Hanson is described as, “A writer, an actress, and an activist… was recently selected as an Obama Foundation leader in recognition of her feminist activism in Ghana”. She has written thought provoking articles for media publications such as ThisIsAfrica.me on slut shaming, rape culture, patriarchy and religion’s role in preserving the oppressive system here in Ghana. See her featured articles here. Hanson also hosts a TV show called the Y Lounge and is the hostess of the Y FM morning radio show in Accra. In addition to these platforms she also runs a creative writing blog at darkmosaic.blogspot.com and maintains a very active presence on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Hanson is typically so vocal about her opinions she’s gained the reputation of being a “loudmouth” by many opposing her justly views on women’s empowerment and feminism. Nana Akosua Hanson has the platform and seemingly the institutional support to officially break the story but hasn’t budged an inch. So now we are all charged to ask, why has the so-called loudmouth Nana Akosua Hanson been muted from airing a story that is so intimately relevant to her work as a feminist and as a friend of Dr. Sionne Neely?

Jessica Horn has a feminist resume just as remarkable as the former. From the AWDF website it says “Jessica Horn has worked for over 15 years supporting activist organisations, funders and the UN to deepen analysis, shape policy and funding, and refine interventions to defend women’s rights to health, bodily autonomy and freedom from violence. This includes 10 years in women’s rights and social change philanthropy as a grantmaker, in donor governance and advisory roles, and as grants assessor and evaluator.” She is also a member of the African Feminist Forum (AFF) and a founding member of the Forum’sWorking Group. Again, we see this is a very prominent woman within the international feminist community and the creative diaspora, whom it would appear, would have very little issues raising a campaign against the brutal acts of the solipsist Mantse Aryeequaye. However, she too has been put on mute. And my question is WHY?

In addition to the aforementioned, there are numerous self-proclaimed “activists” lurking in the art community in Accra who remain very active on social media and know very well of the abuse Dr. Sionne Rameah Neely has suffered. Not one of them has spoken a word about her abuse publicly or even in an attempt to confront Mantse Aryeequaye on a one-on-one basis. A great number of these people are men, whom at one point were very close with Aryeequaye and some, to my disgust, still are. Let’s name these cowardly enablers.

We will begin with the men whom are close to Mantse and have taken a position of allegiance instead of accountability. Roland Sumani Seini is a close friend and long time supporter of Chale Wote. It is fair to assume Seini is aware of his colleague’s transgressions against Dr. Neely, given his closeness to Mantse. Nevertheless we see this fellow misogynist participating out-rightly in this year’s festival. He too should be held accountable for his role in securing such a demon. There are others like Josh Tackie who remains close to Mantse and who actively participated in the festival. Then there is Efo Sela Adjei who has been a co-curator of the festival for many years, although it is rumored that he has recently cut ties with Aryeequaye and the festival. Nevertheless, we should assume that such close allies of Mantse Aryeequaye are well in the know and have willfully chosen a position of silence and consent. Let’s seek them out and demand answers of these men! And, if somehow they are not aware, now is the time for them to join this cause of demanding justice for Dr. Neely.

Next we want to address those men that take a highly political stance on women’s issues via social media and in their work as artists, but who have decided that they will remain muzzled during this dire time of need. One common household name is Wanlov the Kubolor. Wanlov is a self-proclaimed radical; regarded as a feminist by many in the local and international arts community, even by the aforementioned feminist Nana Akosua Hanson. He is known to take to his media profiles to go on ineffective rants against capitalist moguls, religious affiliates, and government officials whom he deems as worthy of his time and attention. Nonetheless his friend and colleague Mantse Aryeequaye, who is but a phone call away, is left unscathed and unaddressed when he knows very well what Mantse has so unconscionably done to his ex-partner Dr. Sionne Neely. What is even more grotesque in the case of Wanlov is that throughout the duration of the festival he made the conscious decision to spread the same blatantly misleading propaganda that Josephine Ngminvielu Kuuire was also sharing on her pages. He is deceiving the masses via very calculated manipulations and is aiding his longtime friend in doing the same. It is time all of these cowards are confronted and brought to account.

People like this are no more than accomplices. These very same people are using their power and wide social media presence to directly divert attention away from the abuse of a woman that is so integral to their own community, all the while asserting their perfunctory activist claims for feminism and women’s empowerment from their computer and smartphone screens.

Furthermore, this is a list of other artists and creative people who are aware of the brute attack on Dr. Sionne Rameah Neely, but whom have also remained silent: Moshood Balogun, Ofoe Amegavie, Ato Annan, Adwoa Amoah, Nana Sekyiamah, Kwame Write, Eli Sparrow, IUB, Billie McTernan, OmonBlanks, Hakeem Adam, Namata Musisi, Mawuli Fudoglo, Francis Kokoroko, Mutombo Da Creator, Nana Osei Kwadwo, and the list goes on…

I am conflicted only because what I have been fed is a lie and now I am choking on the truth. I believed in the glossy façade. I believed in the work I saw many artists and activists creating in Accra, but it appears these very people don’t believe in the message they broadcast themselves. It leaves me to wonder whether the work is being created from an earnest place or are these so-called activists no more than demagogue’s playing into a populist narrative merely for the sake of notoriety and profit? We should all ask these individuals and ourselves such critical questions when dealing with subject matter as sensitive as this indeed is.

We are cultivating a villain via silence and an intricate web of illusions. We are perpetuating the same erasure that we outcry is wrong and inhumane when it involves holding someone accountable outside of our own community. Dr. Sionne Rameah Neely was beaten, brutalized and threatened by her romantic and business partner Mantse Aryeequaye, and the art scene in Accra is keeping it quiet! Why?

Now is the time when the Accra art community should rise together to see to it that Mantse Aryeequaye, a colleague and somehow a friend to some, is brought to justice and this situation is treated as an opportunity for this community to repair itself and grow internally in order to live up to the virtuous political claims it is making. Otherwise it will only create more of Mantse Aryeequaye’s kind; a prototypical socio-path and serial abuser; a man that is a menace and foe to every single woman and self-respecting human being on this earth. Attorney and Professor Anita Hill raises a compelling question as to the consequences of inaction,

“When you talk about people who do things that others perceive as really courageous, most of the time what motivates them is not the risk … of what might happen, but what’s the importance of what it is you’re trying to achieve? [It’s] not the consequences of doing a thing as much as the consequences of not doing it.”

To the woman who has been brutalized, there isn’t a single condolence that another can offer that would take away the pain, however, Dr. Neely should know that her trauma is not in vain. If her community has her best interest at heart and cares about the safety of women all over the world, and if none other at least the women it its community, it will break its silence. Justice cannot be served if we insist on remaining mute. In this age of #MeToo how is any woman ever supposed to feel empowered to confront her abuser if an influential woman like Dr. Sionne Rameah Neely insists on silence?

Moreover, our beloved Dr. Sionne Rameah Neely, WE NEED YOU! YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We want to hear from you. We need your powerful voice. Women all over the world are looking to you. You are Africa. You are indigenous. You are the Diaspora. What I am writing is not from a place of righteousness, rather, it’s rooted in compassion and womanhood. I love you under God herself and by the blood of our ancestors. I know you are unsure. I know you are afraid, but we are here to protect you and stand with you. When I try to imagine what you are going through this quote by Gloria Steinem who is a feminist icon, writer and co-founder of the Women’s Media Center comes to mind:

“Being brave is not being unafraid but feeling the fear and doing it anyway. … When you feel fear, try using it as a signal that something really important is about to happen.”

Dr. Neely, what has been perpetrated against you is unforgivable. Mantse Aryeequaye is getting away with vile brutality and an attempt to murder your soul, the woman who has built the platform that his success and clout leverages on. Do not allow Mantse to continue to float on his cloud of arrogance whilst you bear all of the pain, loneliness and agony of his cowardly and despicable act against you. Speak up so we can all help you fight back. Mantse Aryeequaye is a diabolical and evil criminal and must be jailed and publicly admonished for his injustices. Join us so we drag him to judgment day.

Hereafter, when Mantse Aryeequaye’s name is mentioned we should all regurgitate with the taste of our own liability in the back of our throats as a reminder of our silent consent. And finally, we should wash away the aftertaste of betrayal with the feeling of knowing in the end we did the right thing.

I am writing this piece because I have no reason to stay silent. Everyday my very being pulsates with anger and utter disgust with what I see happening before my very eyes. An abhorrent monster, to the likes of Ike Turner and brutal dictators like Hitler, is being supported by a community of people who know very well of the abuse that has taken place right under the world’s nose. Mantse Aryeequaye is in Accra, receiving large sums of money from the Ghanaian government and other non-disclosed financial backers and enjoying the fruits of Dr. Neely’s hard work. Meanwhile, the woman with the intellectual fortitude who made the festival possible has had to flee Ghana and return to her home country in the United States of America petrified, physically and psychologically unwell whilst her old colleagues and friends are in Accra consenting with their silence.

Now, we are calling on all of the real activists of the world. We are calling upon the power of #MeToo and #TimesUp. We are calling upon our domestic and international allies and friends to stand with us so we will see to it that this endemic parasite, Mantse Aryeequaye, receives his karma right here on this earth. He has enjoyed enough free rein at the expense of Dr. Sionne Rameah Neely and many other women whom I’m sure feel, undoubtedly, disempowered to speak up.

We should all be ashamed. But we can transform our complicity into positive action. We can join forces, regardless of where we disagree, to take a stand against violence of all forms against women! The lines have been drawn. Now, where do you stand?

I’ll leave you with a quote from none other than our Queen Mother Dr. Maya Angelou:

“We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. It may even be necessary to encounter the defeat so that we can know who we are. So that we can see, ‘Oh, that happened, and I rose. I did get knocked down flat in front of the whole world, and I rose. I didn’t run away; I rose right where I’d been knocked down.”

Chale Wote 2018

Chale Wote 2018

Chale Wote 2018

Mantse Aryeequaye