Can anyone wear a Kente stole?

While any high school or college student qualifies to wear a Kente stole at their graduation, the display should hold a deep, personal significance for the wearer. Stoles were first used by the Catholic clergy in the 12th century, worn to distinguish rank or promotion within their hierarchy.

Who can wear Kente?

Kente cloth, the traditional or national cloth of Ghana, is worn by most southern Ghanaian ethnic groups including the Akan, the Ga, and the Ewe.

Who gets a Kente stole?

A Kente Graduation Celebration, also sometimes known as a Sankofa Ceremony, is a pre-commencement ceremony practiced in the United States, typically by African-American students graduating from high school or college, where participants are presented with a Kente stole to be worn over their gown during the graduation ...

When can you wear Kente?

Kente cloth was traditionally worn by royalty however in modern times they are worn by everyday people for special events such as weddings, naming ceremonies or funerals. Determining what kind of Kente cloth to wear depends on the event as the colors and weave patterns have meanings.

What does a Kente stole represent?

The kente stole is a symbol of achievement and overcoming hardship. It pays homage to the ancestors' sacrifices, reunites African Americans with Africa, and asserts their hope and confidence in the future.

Kente Graduation Stole Meanings and Symbolism

Can I wear a Kente stole at graduation?

While any high school or college student qualifies to wear a Kente stole at their graduation, the display should hold a deep, personal significance for the wearer. Stoles were first used by the Catholic clergy in the 12th century, worn to distinguish rank or promotion within their hierarchy.

How many stoles can you wear at graduation?

The good news is that you don't have to choose between a stole/sash and a cord(s); you can wear a cord and a stole/sash together and you can wear more than one cord. However, it's not practical to wear more than one sash/stole, though some graduates may do it.

What kente cloth means?

Definition of kente cloth

: colorfully patterned cloth traditionally woven by hand in Ghana. — called also kente.

Is Kente cloth sacred?

Kente is an Akan royal and sacred cloth worn only in times of extreme importance and is the cloth of kings and nobility, before finding its way into bags, and scarves sold around the globe nowadays. In Akan culture, the different colors and intricate patterns used in the weaving do have traditional meanings.

What is kente cloth used for?

Weaving kente cloth is a cultural tradition of the Asante (also known as Ashanti) people, and these fabrics were originally used exclusively to dress kings and their courts. Each block, pattern, and color has a distinct name and meaning, and the cloth often includes adinkra symbols, which represent concepts or sayings.

Do you wear a stole for master's degree?

Graduation stoles are sometimes called graduation sashes, and you can use the two terms interchangeably. Typically you can only wear one stole, though a master's or doctoral candidate usually pairs a stole with their hood, as do professors wearing academic regalia.

Why do graduates wear stoles?

A graduation stole, also commonly referred to as a graduation sash, is worn by graduates to demonstrate their academic achievement and/or their involvement in a professional organization, student club, or a fraternity or sorority during their time in school.

Who can wear a stole at college graduation?

For colleges and universities, graduating students may wear a stole to indicate their affiliation with a fraternity, sorority, or other clubs and academic societies they participated in. Other graduating students may wear a stole to represent their field of study, each represented by a different color.

How do you wear kente?

To wear kente properly, it must be worn so that the woven patterned strips are straight horizontally and vertically. In addition, the bottom edge of the cloth should be even all the way around.

What is a multicultural stole?

Multicultural stoles are for identity groups that include but are not limited to Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Indigenous, multiracial identities, etc.

Who is the founder of kente?

Kentemust is a brand that is inspired by Ghana and highlights its colors and its fabric, kente. Its creator Cédric Evans, of Ghanaian origin, revisits this traditional fabric originally worn by the Ashanti kings.

Why is kente cloth very special?

Every pattern, color, and shape has a specific meaning, and arrayed together onto the cloth, combines to represent a singular narrative. This gives each Kente design its own unique, symbolic value. Kente cloth may symbolize the wearer's status or mark a festive occasion.

What is the history of the kente cloth?

According to NDiaye, the colorful patterned fabrics known as kente can be traced back to the Asante people of the Akan kingdom in what is now Ghana. The word "kente" actually translates to "handwoven cloth" in the Twi language of the Akan people.

What two main West African tribes are known for kente?

Modern-day Ghana has over 100 ethnic groups that inhabit the country. Two of the largest of those cultures are the Ewe people and the Asante tribe of the Akan people. Woven among these two tribes is a legend that tells the tale of two young men and how they learned how to weave similar to a spider.

Does kente mean basket?

The term kente has its roots in the word kenten, which means “basket”. The raffia fibers that the first kente weavers used made the woven cloths look like kenten (a basket), and thus were referred to as kenten ntoma meaning “basket cloth”.

Can anyone wear graduation cords?

In many cases, clubs, student governments, school bands, sports teams, and social organizations allow all their members to wear cords at graduation. In contrast, academic honor cords are generally only worn by students who have won an award or achieved a specific grade point average.

Should I wear a stole?

A majority of schools don't require stoles to be worn at the ceremony. Many choose not to wear them, but a vast amount of students prefer to have them, as not only does it help them display their achievements and groups they were involved with, but it's also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they can't turn down.

What GPA do you need to get a gold cord?

Must have a minimum of 48 hours (per year) logged at Green Team meetings. Honor Students (Gold Tassel) Honor students must have a weighted GPA of 3.5 - 3.74999999.

What does a white stole mean at high school graduation?

According to the tradition of the 'stole of gratitude,' some students choose to wear stoles at graduation to represent the help that was given to them by others. These students give the stole to a special mentor or aide after the ceremonies are over, sometimes with a little note written on the underside of the stole.