Fans Slam Draya Michele For Sitting Courtside With Her 22-Year-Old Son To Support Her Boyfriend, Jalen Green
Fans pointed out that Kniko is the same age as his "stepdad" Jalen Green.
Model and entrepreneur Draya Michele has gone viral again over her relationship with NBA Star Jalen Green. On January 5, clips blew up online showing the 39-year-old reality television star attending one of Green’s games alongside her 22-year-old son Kniko.
The clip brought the controversy surrounding Michele and 22-year-old Green’s age gap back into the spotlight, as the young NBA star is the same age as Kniko.
The media personality was seen enjoying floor seats with Kniko.
The appearance of Michele with Kniko at Green’s game sparked online backlash, with many pointing out on X — formerly known as Twitter — that Kniko is the same age as his “stepfather.”
One user wrote, “Having a step dad the same age as you is weird as hell. Draya goofy as hell.”
Having a step dad the same age as you weird as hell. Draya goofy as hell
Another added, “Imagine having a son that is the same age as his “stepdad.” smh, Draya has her jersey retired & in the rafters at the Piece of S*** Hall of Fame.”
The former star on Basketball Wives LA and Mint Swim founder has three children, the oldest of which is 22-year-old Kniko. She shares a second son, Jru, with Orlando Scandrick after the pair got engaged in 2015. Finally, following the pair’s split, Michele entered into a relationship with Jalen Green, a Houston Rockets player, and they welcomed a daughter together in May of 2024.
Michele shared a heartfelt Instagram post welcoming the birth of her daughter last year on Mother’s Day.
In the post, Michele opened up about the significance behind her and Green’s daughter being born on Mother’s Day.
“In 2021 on Mother’s Day, my dad passed away. Since then, it’s been extremely hard to celebrate that day without remembering the earth-shattering phone call I received that morning. Well, this Mother’s Day was different. My daughter was safely brought into this world and I’m forever grateful for the new memories we all get to experience moving forward. Love + Light everyone,” Michele wrote in the caption of the Instagram carousel.
JetBlue Passengers Claim Airline Treated Them ‘Like Animals’ After Being Kicked Out Of The Airport Following Delayed Flight
One passenger compared the treatment to animals after they were forced out the Turks and Caicos airport.
Passengers traveling on JetBlue from Turks and Caicos claim the airline treated them inhumanely after their significantly delayed flight.
Travelers headed for Boston did not receive accommodations from the airline after the flight’s 24-hour delay. Although an unexpected inconvenience, what occurred next left many horrified by their treatment.
Given the circumstances, most assumed they could pass the time at the airport. Others thought they would receive hotel vouchers from the airline, as is often customary in the U.S. Instead, they were left with no options. The airport warned they would be kicked out, and no hotel options were reportedly available for that evening.
One passenger, Marty, told Boston 25 News that the airline allowed airport personnel to “put people out on the streets.” He compared the ordeal to being treated “like animals,” with his children also in tow.
“To put people out on the streets like animals was something I will never forget for the rest of my life,” explained the frustrated dad. “Just very unsettling, traumatizing experience you have three young kids all looking to you for an answer, a wife looking at you for an answer, for the first time as a husband and as a father and as a man, I had no idea how I was going to shelter my family for a night.”
The passengers had to quickly find lodging for the night or risk sleeping with the fish. Fortunately for Marty, his travel agent found a small hotel room so his family could stay safe. Another passenger, Brett, booked an Airbnb in a questionable area. Furthermore, he had to fork over a thousand dollars to fit his large party of 10.
“It was in a horrible, sketchy area. The actual Airbnb itself was OK, but the area was like something out of a horror movie,” shared the other traveler. “… Wild dogs were chasing the cab as we were driving by like very sketchy neighborhood, and kids are freaking out like ‘What are we gonna do?’”
Airport staff eventually allowed travelers with less agency and funding to stay, placing cots on the floor. Unfortunately, the problems continued for everyone on that delayed flight. Those who remained through the night faced another four-hour delay.
In response, JetBlue explained that Air Traffic Control congestion caused the intense delay. Although they apologized, they emphasized that the circumstances were outside their control. Regardless, they encouraged customers to seek reimbursement and offered a $200 travel credit for their troubles.
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this delay caused and understand this was a frustrating situation,” shared the airline. “While the delay was created by circumstances beyond JetBlue’s control, we understand the impact this disruption had on our customers’ plans. Given that, we’ve provided instructions for affected customers to submit reimbursement requests for eligible out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Customer Service Plan. Additionally, as a goodwill gesture, we’ve issued $200 in travel credit for future JetBlue flights.”
However, Marty and others do not readily accept the apology. The man stated that better procedures must occur before forcing travelers “to the streets.”
“This was far beyond a delay; this was sending people to the streets in the wee hours of the night and asking them to fend for themselves with no solutions.”
However, the Department of Transportation’s newly established Automatic Refund Rule states that passengers do not have to get a refund if they accept the new flight despite cancellations or significant delays. Despite this, those who refused the new booking are entitled to an automatic airline refund.
The team held a Derrick Rose Night during halftime of their game against the New York Knicks to honor the Chicago native who retired before the season
After being waived from the Minneapolis Timberwolves shortly before the current NBA season started, Derrick Rose decided to retire from the game after playing 16 seasons, and the team that drafted him, the Chicago Bulls, gave him a tribute on Saturday, Dec. 4.
According to NBA.com, the Bulls held a Derrick Rose Night during halftime of their game against the New York Knicks to honor their former player. The Chicago native was his hometown team’s No. 1 NBA Draft pick in 2008. At halftime, he took center stage on the basketball court to acknowledge the love and support he received from the team that drafted him.
Once a video tribute to him concluded, Rose entered the hardwood with his wife and children to join his mother on the court, and after being acknowledged by the crowd who stood on their feet as they chanted “MVP, MVP,” the emotional former guard spoke to the arena in front of basketball fans, family, friends, former teammates, and opponents.
“I want to thank everybody for coming out and the Bulls for allowing this to go on,” Rose said. “Every teammate to make time, all your guys who came to love and support, but I really want to talk to the kids.”
He pivoted to tell the crowd about one of the lessons he has given his son to encourage greatness in whatever he does.
“At the beginning of the video, I mentioned to PJ, ‘Do you want to be good or great?’ He don’t know, but that’s my way of tricking him. With me tricking him, I could be very specific and say, ‘Do you want to be good at basketball? Or do you want to be great in basketball?’ I want to make it broad, so when he says great, I can hold you accountable for everything you are not being great at. That’s the thing he (has to) pass on to his siblings and a joke we have in the house. If we see you lacking on something they say, ‘Dad, you want to be good or great?’
He acknowledges the Chicago faithful for supporting him from his early basketball playing days through his career in the NBA. He also stated that, since his playing days are over, he is now a businessman.
“Being great, sometimes you’re going to be disliked,” he continued. “You have to show courage (when) people dislike you or whatever. It’s, ‘I’m confident in my choice; I’m confident I will make it. I want to be great.’ Thank you, Chicago, for forcing me to be great, putting those expectations on me, my understanding that I was trying to be great and the environment I was in forcing me to. So thank you to everybody who watched me ever since I was in sixth grade, seventh, eighth, the injuries, MVP, playoff wins, and playoff losses. That is going to be the old Pooh. This is the new version of me. This is what you see. I am a businessman now.”
The Chicago native won the Rookie of the Year award and was picked to represent his team in the All-Star team in three of his first four seasons. In 2011, he became the league’s youngest MVP when he had a tremendous first season in the NBA. He was just 22 years old at the time.
The Bulls also announced that he will have his No. 1 jersey raised to the roof next season, joining the likes of other luminaries who played for the Bulls, such as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Bob Love, and Jerry Sloan.
Rose also played for the New York Knicks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Minneapolis Timberwolves, the Detroit Pistons, and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Georgia Preteen Badly Burned After Friends Pour Boiling Water On Him As A ‘Prank’
West's son had to receive surgery due to the severity of the burns.
A 12-year-old boy from Augusta, Georgia, suffered severe second-degree burns on his face after three boys poured boiling water on his face while he was asleep at a neighbor’s apartment during the week of Jan. 4. According to his mother, Tiffany West, the boy is currently in recovery after surgery.
West’s son was sleeping over a neighboring apartment before he ended up in a Georgia burn unit. As reported by the Daily Mail, in the Tifton apartment, the three friends were supposed to be playing video games together. West explained that the other boys, who have not been named, and are 12 to 15 years old, decided to play a cruel prank on her son.
She expressed being “irate beyond belief” that the three boys decided it would be funny to pour scalding water on her boy as he slept. One of the other children threw the water on him, following through on the planned “prank” and leaving West’s son with scars on his face and body that will likely never fade.
The incident resulted in West’s son being rushed to the hospital and receiving surgery to treat his burns. He’s thankfully finishing his physical recovery at home, surrounded by family.
West revealed that she and her family decided to pursue legal action against the three boys. Soon after the incident, all three were arrested, and a criminal hearing is set for sometime in February.
Although the specific individual charges have not been released, West is adamant about ensuring justice is served because of the severity of the victim’s condition.
West’s sister, Nachelle Austile, explained that the entire family is going through a rough time due to the shock of the burning and the medical bills that have come with the 12-year-old’s hospitalization. Several of his family members have admitted to taking leave from their jobs to stay home with him during his recovery.
Austile added, emotionally, that her nephew would likely need counseling on top of his physical recovery to “be able to trust people again.”
West recalled her reaction when she heard about what happened to her son. She told the outlet, “In that moment, I was just mad, hurt, in shock. Everything I saw was red. I was just trying to hurry up and get him some help.”
All three of the involved boys have been released to the custody of their families.
Nick Cannon Reflects On Lupus Journey, Calling Himself The ‘Black Tony Stark’
In 2022, Cannon marked a decade since his lupus diagnosis by releasing a video recounting his battle with the illness.
Nick Cannon, the multi-hyphenate entertainer and father of 12, recently shared a deeply personal connection to the Marvel superhero Iron Man during a house tour of his “Cannon Estate.”
In a Dec. 31 YouTube video, Cannon reflected on his battle with lupus, a life-changing autoimmune disease, while showing off a prized possession: a Louis Vuitton Iron Man helmet.
“I’m a huge Iron Man fan because Iron Man almost lost his life,” Cannon, 44, said during the tour, featuring his twins Moroccan and Monroe, whom he shares with ex-wife Mariah Carey. “When he got down to the bottom, and they thought it was over, his superhero activated.”
Cannon, who was diagnosed with lupus in 2012, drew parallels between Iron Man’s fictional journey and his health struggles. He described how the superhero’s resilience inspired him to embrace his diagnosis as a source of strength.
“I connected with that because of my lupus,” Cannon said. “When I got lupus, I was like, ‘That’s my superpower.’ So ever since then, especially the first Iron Man movie. I’ve seen myself as the Black Tony Stark.”
Battling Lupus: Cannon’s Health Journey
Lupus, described by the Mayo Clinic as a chronic autoimmune disease, occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. The condition can lead to inflammation affecting joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. Cannon first revealed his diagnosis in 2012, sharing that it nearly took his life. At the time, he was married to Carey, with whom he shares 13-year-old twins born in 2011. The couple separated in 2016.
In 2022, Cannon marked a decade since his lupus diagnosis by releasing a video recounting his battle with the illness. “I experienced a sudden and mysterious illness that almost took my life,” he said. “At the time, I had no idea it was lupus.”
True to his on-camera persona, Cannon documented his health journey from the start. “You know me, I always have to have a camera on,” he explained. “I would open up my phone, grab my camera, and talk to it. I documented the entire health journey.”
A “Lupus Warrior”
Cannon has consistently used his platform to raise awareness about lupus and advocate for health as a priority. In April 2024, the Masked Singer host called himself a “lupus warrior” in an Instagram Stories post showing him undergoing blood work.
“Constant reminder that health is the real wealth!!! #lupuswarrior 💜💜💜💜,” he captioned the image of a venipuncture device taking his blood.
His transparency about his struggles and triumphs has resonated with fans and underscored the importance of early detection, care, and resilience in the face of chronic illness.
Finding Strength in Superheroes
Cannon’s admiration for Iron Man extends beyond fandom. The character’s near-death experiences and eventual transformation into a superhero with a mechanical heart mirror Cannon’s determination to persevere through adversity.
“Shout-out to Robert Downey Jr. and the first Iron Man movie, but it’s more than that,” Cannon said. “The comics always showed Iron Man as someone who rose from the brink, and that’s what I feel I’ve done with lupus.”
During the house tour, Cannon placed the Louis Vuitton Iron Man helmet on his head and declared, “I’m the Black Tony Stark, baby.” This lighthearted moment carried deep emotional weight, symbolizing how he has redefined his narrative from patient to survivor — and now, to superhero in his own right.
Family and Legacy
Throughout his health journey, Cannon has prioritized family. The YouTube video featured touching moments with Moroccan and Monroe, affectionately known as “Roc” and “Roe.” As a dedicated father, Cannon said he hopes to inspire his children by demonstrating resilience and finding purpose, even in challenging circumstances.
Cannon’s reflections on his lupus diagnosis and journey have continued to resonate with audiences, particularly those also battling chronic illnesses. His ability to blend vulnerability with inspiration reminds fans of the importance of perseverance and maintaining a positive outlook, no matter the odds.
As Cannon concluded his tour, he gave viewers a powerful message: “Your struggles don’t define you—they empower you. Find your superpower and use it.”
Inside The Quest To Save America’s Oldest Incorporated Black Town Of Brooklyn, Illinois
Established in the 1830s, Brooklyn started as a refuge for free and enslaved Black people.
Brooklyn, Illinois, considered the oldest Black settlements in U.S. history, is dying, leaving its legacy at risk.
According to TheChicago Tribune, the area has a storied history as one of the first majority-Black towns in the country to incorporate. Established in the 1830s, Brooklyn started as a refuge for free and enslaved Black people along the Mississippi river, once noted as a key outpost for the Underground Railroad. According to oral history, “Mother” Priscilla Baltimore led 11 Black families, some escaping slavery, to the area across from St. Louis.
Within its city limits, Black people could find community and a livelihood on their own terms. Incorporated in 1873, its population reached its greatest height of over 2,500 people less than a century later.
Under its motto, “Founded by Chance, Sustained by Courage,” Brooklyn represented the possibilities for Black life in America. Despite racial discrimination found nationwide, Brooklyn offered its own haven for Black people to thrive and find jobs in nearby factories.
“There wouldn’t be a reason for Black towns at all if there wasn’t racism. The whole point is Black folks couldn’t be integrated into the white power structure that existed at all levels of American society.,” explained Hannibal B. Johnson, an attorney and author whose work focuses on Black towns in America, according to the The Chicago Tribune.
It rose to become an entertainment hub, which some even calling it “Little Las Vegas.” Hosting late-hour clubs, it became a beacon of fun for those across the river.
Currently, Brooklyn stands as a seedy shell of its former vision. Due to railroad companies acquiring its land and displacing residents, its commercial viability was decimated.
Moreover, its roots in entertainment fell prey to other forms. Now, strip clubs and adult bookstores join local government scandals and violence that plague Brooklyn’s small streets. With an estimated population of 650, Brooklyn remains on the brink of collapse.
With most of its land now owned by the railroad, vacant buildings and dilapidated homes are commonplace among the area. However, efforts to save and preserve Brooklyn’s history remain ongoing.
A revitalization plan, prompted by supporters, residents, and archaeologists, hope to add Brooklyn to the National Register of Historic Places. The designation would allow for a potential museum and monuments to honor the town’s place in Black and American history.
Furthermore, excavation efforts launched in 2007 hoped to discover even more artifacts to justify its recognition as an historic site. The Historical Society of Brooklyn, Illinois continues its effort to reimagine its history and land for the modern age.
“Yes, Brooklyn has experienced some hard times, many phases, ups and downs,” said Robert White III, 44, a Brooklyn native who moved with his family to the St. Louis area at 17 and now serves as president of the village’s historical society. “But Brooklyn is still very resilient. It’s still a very beautiful place. I have not given up on Brooklyn. In fact, I’m quite optimistic the fate of Brooklyn can and will be restored.”
Thus far, Brooklyn has been added to Landmarks Illinois list of endangered historic places. As they strive to hit their biggest goal, planners are drafting new strategies to encourage new businesses and residents to the area. Its community remains steadfast in this mission to revive Brooklyn and preserve its critical story.
Tim Scott Becomes Longest-Tenured Black Senator In History
Sen. Scott also holds the distinction of being the first elected Black senator from the South.
On Jan. 3, Sen. Tim Scott made history, becoming the longest-tenured Black United States senator, breaking the record previously held by another Black Republican Sen. Edward Brooke (R-Mass) who served from 1967-1979.
According to ABC News, Sen. Scott also holds the distinction of being the first elected Black senator from the South as well as the first official to serve in both the U.S. House and the Senate.
Joining Scott in the Senate are four Black senators, which makes this group the largest group to serve in the Senate simultaneously. In Scott’s first speech as a freshman senator, he said that his belief in the goodness of America is born of his experience.
“I believe in the greatness of America because I have experienced the goodness of our people in America. An ordinary guy like me can be blessed with an extraordinary opportunity like this,” Scott said.
Scott has often used his grandfather’s story of picking cotton to survive to paint a picture of his family’s rise from discrimination to opportunity, in 2020 at the Republican National Convention, Scott described it by saying “our family went from cotton to Congress in one lifetime.”
Scott has occasionally broken with his party like he did in 2016, following the deaths of Eric Garner, Walter Scott, and Philando Castile, delivering an impactful speech about the divide between Black communities and law enforcement, revealing his own experiences with racial profiling in the process.
“While I thank God I have not endured bodily harm, I have, however, felt the pressure applied by the scales of justice when they are slanted. I have felt the anger, the frustration, the sadness, and the humiliation that comes with feeling like you’re being targeted for nothing more than being just yourself,” Scott said at the time.
In recent years, however, Scott has been a staunch defender and surrogate for President-elect Donald Trump, positioning which has no doubt helped him secure a position as the chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee and Scott will also chair the National Republican Senatorial Committee; in the process becoming the first Black person to chair both positions.
Scott said in a statement marking the occasion that he looks forward to working with President-elect Trump on his agenda.
“My goal is simple: make America work for Americans. As we get to work cleaning up the mess from the previous administration, I look forward to working with President Trump on his priorities, including paving a path for all Americans to have the necessary tools and resources to achieve their version of the American Dream. We will unlock opportunity, strengthen our nation, and make America the shining city on the Hill again,” Scott remarked.
In the video, the worker flips over the receipt to show Barnes and Noble’s 2011 return policy printed on the back. According to the receipt, customers had 14 days to return items.
The book retailer’s current return policy gives customers 30 days to return items. But that doesn’t explain how the customer in question was able to return an item over a decade after making the purchase.
According to the TikToker, the system first marked the receipt as past the return window, but her manager was able to manually override it.
“My manager made an exception ‘just this once,’” she shared in the comments.
The video received mixed responses from viewers, with many applauding the customer for keeping the receipt in such pristine condition.
“I’m kind of impressed they even still had the receipt lol,” one person wrote.
“honestly if they have the receipt i’d take it back just cause i’m impressed,” added someone else.
Some retail workers weighed in with current and previous Nordstrom staffers revealing the luxury retailer’s generous return policy.
“At nordstrom we have no time limit on returns and someone returned a dyson from 2007 AND STILL HAD THE RECEIPT 🥰,” they shared.
“I worked at Nordstrom which doesn’t have a return policy and I kid u not someone returned something from 1997… WITH THE RECEIPT,” the other added.
Boston Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola’s Bookstore Highlights Community And Marginalized Authors
Olayiwola said her vision is for justBookish to be 'a literary gathering space.'
JustBookish, an independent bookstore in Boston, is unique for a few reasons, chief among them is who is responsible for opening the bookstore in November 2024 — Boston’s poet laureate Porsha Olayiwola and her business partner, Bing Broderick.
According to The Boston Globe, the other reasons why the bookstore is unique include that in the Dorchester neighborhood it sits in, it is one of the only Black-owned bookstores in Boston and one of the only storefronts that is open in the evenings, making it an attractive working space for the city’s residents.
It is also committed to selling books by writers who are intent on challenging conventional political paradigms.
As Olayiwola discussed with the outlet, her vision is for the bookstore to function as “a literary gathering space, which means that you should theoretically be able to come in here, whether or not you can afford something, and feel comfortable.”
Part of what’s unique about justBook-ish is the team behind it: It was cofounded by the poet laureate of Boston, Porsha Olayiwola, and her business partner, Bing Broderick. And its mission is to highlight writers whose work challenges political paradigms. https://t.co/bgNMrnokDg
For Olayiwola, the idea for a space like justBookish came about as a matter of practicality first.
”I remember being in my home office and saying, ‘Dang, I need to have a late-night meeting with somebody, and they’re not coming to my house. Where can I walk to at 7 p.m.? Because everything’s closed near here,’” Olayiwola told the Globe.
In the three years it took to get the bookstore off the ground, the two called nearly every bookstore in Boston for tips and tricks as neither had worked in the space previously.
When they didn’t really get much traction on that front, the pair decided to turn the business into a place where the Boston community can build itself up together.
An example of the kind of community building Olayiwola is invested in was exemplified by a recent open mic event hosted by a patron of the bookstore and Boston resident Jeremiah Ancrum, which happened because he asked Olayiwola if he could do it.
“That just speaks to [Olayiwola’s] character,” Ancrum told The Boston Globe, “how well she’s able to curate with the community, find things that work for them, and even build a space for them to be felt, heard, and included.”
In truth, the business model of the company is split between a for-profit entity that focuses on food, drink, and book sales and a non-profit arm, Words As Worlds, which hosts various events including tea tastings and reading parties.
According to Broderick, that approach initially was a puzzle for the two to figure out effective fund-raising for their establishment.
“What’s complicated about our model is that we couldn’t spend nonprofit dollars in the buying of any equipment or inventory related to the sale of books or the sale of food and beverage,” Broderick told the Globe.
However, the bookstore’s ethos of putting banned books and authors on display is one that has gotten the attention of power players like Massachusetts Sen. Ayanna Pressley.
Sen. Pressley described their mission to the Boston Globe as an “affirmative statement of the power of our intellectual freedoms, the power of diverse and representative authors and stories against the backdrop of a rise of draconian actions to roll back those gains made.”
The representation of authors with what some would call provocative messaging is important to Olayiwola, the bookstore will offer workshops on publishing and selling books to aspiring authors.
This, Olayiwola said, is part of her hope to highlight marginalized authors.
“We’re hoping to highlight folks who have been traditionally marginalized,” she told the Globe.
This has resonated with patrons like Josie Hanna Colon, a 20-year-old Northeastern student who read her poems at the open mic event.
“Knowing that we have now a space where a lot of Black authors are highlighted, I think that definitely will be just a general motivator for the community to be like, ‘Hey guys, we belong in spaces like these. So come by,” Colon noted.
The sentiment of Colon is shared by Olayiwola, who told the Globe, “As soon as the doors open, it’s no longer ours. It belongs to other people.”
Massive Fire Destroys Hundreds Of Stalls At Ghana’s Kantamanto Clothing Market
Hundreds of videos were lost.
Kantamanto Market in Accra, Ghana, home to the world’s largest secondhand clothing market, caught fire during the early morning hours of Jan. 2; by the time the blaze was extinguished, hundreds of the market’s stalls had burned down.
According to CNN, although the blaze consumed a number of stalls, Ghana’s National Fire Service indicated that there were no reported casualties and an investigation is ongoing to determine the exact cause of the fire.
Some, like Kwabena Charles, lost much of their businesses.
“I was at home… when one of my workers called, telling me to come to the market quickly. By the time I arrived at 3 a.m., everything was burnt. We tried to save what we could, but it was impossible,” Charles, a secondhand shoe salesman, told Ghana’s state-run Ghana News Agency.
According to the GNA, Richard Amo Yartey, the director of inspectorate at the National Disaster Management Organization, visited the site on Jan. 2 and expressed his sympathy to those who had experienced the loss of their wares and stalls.
“It’s quite unfortunate that this happened at a time when we should be celebrating the New Year, but this is not the end of life. We are doing our best to support those affected and ensure they get back on their feet,” Yartey told the GNA.
“This is devastating,” Nartey said. “We’ve not recorded severe casualties, but the economic loss is enormous. Preliminary investigations suggest faulty electrical connections might have sparked the blaze, although we are not ruling out arson.”
Approximately 8,000 people have been affected so far, but that number is expected to rise in the coming days.
Alahassan Fatawu, the owner of a stall that sold modified secondhand clothes of his original design said that he was notified by a manager of a nearby stall that the market was on fire.
“The man who runs the neighbouring stall called me and said everything had burned. I started panicking. I found burnt stalls. There were still parts burning. I couldn’t salvage a thing [from my stall]. Everything has gone. Now my daily bread has been cut. I used my stall at Kantamanto to sustain myself.”
The market serves as Ghana’s local alternative to the environmentally and ethically dubious fast fashion industry, however, according to Yayra Agbofah, though there is no word from the government, the people must pick up the pieces and get back to work soon.
“The goal is to rebuild in a week,” Agbofah, the founder of the Revival, a community organization dedicated to creating awareness, art, and jobs from the textile waste in Ghana, said. “People have to return to work because they don’t have anything. There has been no information about what the government is going to do. We have to take things into our own hands and rebuild our market.”
Agbofah continued, “The traders have lost everything. A lot are in debt. This is their livelihood. There are no other alternatives. We have to find ways to get our feet back and start work. The only option is to build back and start from scratch. It’s a devastating situation.”
The Or Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to a more just fashion industry, has committed $1 million towards the clean up effort; its creative director, Daniel Mawuli Quist, issued a statement to The Guardian calling on the global fashion community to help the market in its hour of need.
“While the industry often touts sustainability as a buzzword or marketing tactic for selling new products, Kantamanto proves that true sustainability is about more than just new sales. It’s about creating a circular system that values every part of the value chain. This is a critical moment for the global fashion ecosystem to show solidarity,” Mawuli Quist said.
