GH2013 Archives - Mind of Malaka

The Reveal: How Photographers Shoot Anyone Who Isn’t Thin, Able Bodied & “Conventionally” Beautiful

Posted on April 24, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

I set my beverage down with a gentle thud and smiled generously, grateful to be surrounded by the laughter and reverie of friends I hadn't seen in years...some in over 20. Kwae Terrace, a swanky rooftop spot in Accra, offered all of the elements required…

Once Upon a Time, Men Held Hands in Ghana

Posted on July 23, 2021
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

My earliest memories of Ghana are centered the market. "They" must've taken me there often in order for these memories to be so indelibly printed in my mind. Or perhaps a singular visit left such an impression that my imagination has created multiple visits. I…

It Benefits No Ghanaian to Take a Hardline Approach to LGBT Issues in Ghana; Especially Not Those Who Call Themselves Christians

Posted on February 25, 2021
by Malaka
with 1 Comment

The mystery of religion is its mercurial nature, its plurality. It is a tool that both harbors and wields incredible power. Religion has inspired the pursuit of scientific knowledge and been used as a mechanism to demonize that same pursuit. Religion has been used to…

VP Pick Professor Naana Opoku-Agyemang Offers A Vision of Ghanaian Identity

Posted on July 30, 2020
by Malaka
with 4 Comments

Naana Opoku-Agyemang is the former Minister for Education, appointed in 2013 by (then) President John Mahama after the 2012 Ghanaian general election. She has lectured and led at prominent African institutions, including the University of Cape Coast and the Women's University in Africa located in…

A Look at Some of the Themes You May Have Missed in The Perfect Picture: 10 Years Later

Posted on July 13, 2020
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

Warning: Spoilers abound I would be remiss if I didn’t confess that I no longer write reviews of Ghanaian cinematic productions or streamed series. It was a decision I made after 2015, when my unbiased observations of a certain filmmaker's work were re-framed (or misinterpreted)…

Ghanaians Have A Long History of Exploiting Black American Pain. Sammy Gyamfi is Just The Latest Offender.

Posted on June 4, 2020
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

Sammy Gyamfi is the National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a position he’s held since 2018. He is a lawyer by trade, most noted for his outlandish populist tirades. He is the generator of a despicable political cartoon depicting George Floyd’s body…

My Sole Regret After Appearing on the KSM Show

Posted on October 15, 2019
by Malaka
with 4 Comments

Kwaku Sintim-Misa (KSM) is an acclaimed actor, comedian and talk show host. Last week he invited me to appear on his long-running TV program, the KSM Show. You’ll be proud to know that I kept my cool and resisted the urge to gush for a…

Why It’s Important For Me to Travel To the North Alone, Afraid and Now

Posted on September 29, 2019
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Me: Hey, y’all! I’ll be going to the North this month! I’ll be taking a bus and I… Person A: Wouldn’t you rather fly there instead? Me: Of course I would. Person: A.1: So you are going alone? Aren’t you afraid? Me: Well…Of course I…

Sure, Return. But 2019 Really Ought Be the Year Of Reconciliation

Posted on September 17, 2019
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

I don’t think this year of return thing is good at all. It seems like more focus is being put on the Ghanaians come from abroad, and we who are here are being left out. Like that guy – the (Steve) Harvey guy came here and went to the dungeons and was so upset. Me, I can tell you I’ve been to Cape Coast (Castle), Elmina…when I enter those dungeons I don’t feel anything.

It Will Probably Take A Zombie Apocalypse To Make Ghana Clean Again

Posted on March 20, 2018
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

This morning, I woke up in a panic. My heart was racing so furiously I thought it would tear through my rib cage and bounce its way out of my bedroom window. I had just dreamt of Ghana, and I was terrified by the vision…