The relationship between newspapers and Ghana’s Independence Day celebrations is deeply rooted in the country’s political history and media evolution. From the late colonial period through the attainment of independence in 1957 and into the post-colonial era, newspapers played a central role in documenting, shaping, and amplifying the meaning of national freedom. In the Gold…
Among the Akan of Ghana, naming is never a casual act. Names locate a person in time, history, morality, and the spiritual universe. One of the most distinctive Akan naming practices is the giving of day names (kradin), assigned according to the day of the week on which a child is born. These names are…
A taboo is an act so deeply forbidden that it provokes moral outrage, fear, or spiritual anxiety when violated. Taboos are cultural universals: every society draws invisible lines that must not be crossed. Yet these lines are not the same everywhere. What one society condemns as unthinkable may be ordinary or morally neutral in another….
The early years of Ghana’s independence, particularly between 1957 and the mid-1960s, reveal the gradual emergence of state control over the media. While independence initially generated optimism about press freedom, archival newspaper records, government policies, and editorial patterns show that signs of state influence appeared almost immediately. These early developments shaped the long-term trajectory of…
The emergence of Ghana as an independent nation in 1957 was not only a political milestone but also a global media event. Newspapers—both local and international—played a decisive role in announcing the birth of the new state to the world. Through headlines, editorials, photographs, and diplomatic reporting, the press transformed Ghana’s independence from a regional…
Few technological developments have reshaped Ghana as profoundly as the Advancement of communication technology. From the first telegraph lines laid by colonial authorities to today’s smartphones and internet-driven economy, communication has changed how Ghanaians trade, govern, organize, and connect with the world. The Telegraph and Postal Revolution (1870s–1900s) Modern communication in the Gold Coast began in the 1870s,…
Marital and relationship breakdowns occur for many reasons, and these reasons often vary from one society to another. People enter intimate relationships with specific expectations—emotional, economic, sexual, social, and cultural. When these expectations remain unmet, tensions arise, and relationships may eventually rupture. For this article, I surveyed 28 Ghanaian adults—14 men and 14 women—to better…
When people discuss the early history of football, the narrative often begins in Britain and gradually expands to the rest of the world. Rarely, however, does the conversation turn toward West Africa—particularly the historic Gold Coast, present-day Ghana. Yet one of the most remarkable pioneers of the sport, widely regarded as the first Black professional…
Children and the Future of the Nation Children are the future of every society. When a nation fails to nurture and guide its children properly, it mortgages its own future. Ghana today faces a troubling situation: unless deliberate efforts are made to mould children into disciplined, responsible, and law-abiding citizens, the consequences will be felt…
Every society has norms, which are rules that guide behavior. One important norm in Ghana concerns the use of the left hand in social interactions. Traditionally in Ghana, using the left hand in social interactions can be problematic. Giving something to someone or receiving something with the left hand is considered rude or insulting. Growing…
The Atlantic as Living Arena Along the Atlantic edge of the pre-colonial Gold Coast, long before European forts punctuated the shoreline, the sea was already a theatre of movement, daring, and communal pride. The coastal societies of present-day Ghana—particularly the Fante, Ga, and related Akan maritime communities—did not encounter the ocean as a boundary. They…
The causes of Rural–Urban Migration are major concerns of African governments like Ghana. Across Ghana and much of Africa, a defining social transformation of the 21st century is the movement of people from the countryside to towns and cities. Every year, thousands of young people leave rural communities—villages and small towns—and migrate to urban centers…
Written by Mensah Adinkrah, Ph.D. Ritual murder is the killing of a person with the intention of using the victim’s blood, body, or body parts to perform rituals or prepare what is often described as “medicine” for personal gain. It is one of the most heinous crimes anyone can commit. Taking another person’s life in…
Few business stories have shaped Ghana as deeply and enduringly as cocoa. From a small agricultural experiment in the late 19th century to becoming the backbone of the national economy, cocoa transformed the Gold Coast into one of the world’s most important producers and laid the foundation for modern Ghana’s economic identity. The Birth of…
The end of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the nineteenth century is often presented in historical narratives as a clear moral victory led by European abolitionists. However, in reality, the process was complex, uneven, and frequently misrepresented—particularly in early newspapers and colonial reports. In the region now known as Ghana, selective reporting played a crucial…
