Dr. Kirstie Kwarteng
Diaspora | Migration | Qualitative Research Expert | Writer | Cultural Heritage
Can you share your journey into the work you do? What experiences, moments, or values led you here?
At my core, I am a storyteller and curator of stories, and I live this out in 3 ways.
Firstly, I am a researcher focused on African migration and the African diaspora. My research involves speaking to people of African descent about their lives and experiences. I use the information I receive to create data that supports policies, initiatives, and programs that improve the social, economic and cultural development of people of African descent around the world.
Secondly, I am the founder of The Nana Project, an online platform dedicated to preserving Ghana’s history through the voices of Ghanaian elders. The Nana Project was born out of my maternal grandmother’s death. She was 96 at the time of her passing and the loss was devastating for me. Ghana celebrated its’ 50th independence anniversary the year my grandmother died. As she was 96, I realized that she carried 46 years of history about colonial Ghana that would never be known because no one asked her for her life story. I created The Nana Project so we can learn our history from our elders while they are still here to tell us.
Lastly, I am the co-host of the Too Known Podcast, a limited series that explores the lives of young Africans in the diaspora. This project was created by my friend and I to share information from our PhD work on the lives of children of Ghanaian immigrants in a relevant, fun way.
My work overall is heavily informed by my experience growing up as a child of Ghanaian immigrants in the United States. African immigrant communities were much smaller when I was a child than they are today. Our small size contributed to a lack of visibility, so people did not understand our lived realities. Due to this, there was a lack of clarity about the lives of children born to African immigrant parents. I witnessed the disconnect between how people in academia described us versus how we viewed and described ourselves. I obtained my PhD to create more data on our communities, and it has led me to where I am today.
Who or what has most influenced your leadership and commitment to this work? This could include mentors, community, lived experience, books, faith, or movements.
I am deeply influenced by the legacy of my maternal grandmother, Hannah. She did not receive a formal education because her father did not believe in educating his daughters. As a child, she always encouraged my sister and I to excel academically, and by God’s grace, we did. Although she is no longer here, her words and encouragement continue to propel me forward. My parents have also influenced me in my journey to becoming who I am. There’s a running joke about African parents only allowing their children to be doctors, lawyers, or engineers. Thankfully, my parents weren’t like that. They believed my sister and I had God-given gifts and abilities that they needed to help us steward until we were old enough to steward them on our own. This is why I have a PhD in the social sciences and my sister is a professional opera singer!
For those who feel called to doing this work, where would you suggest they begin? Is there a book, organization, practice, or resource that helped shape you?
First, I would say begin internally. What excites you? What do you see that upsets you? What do you want to change in the world around you? The things that annoy us may be the things we are called to fix. After that, I would say look to your community. Since highlighting the experiences of my community is the foundation of my work, I would encourage people to look to their communities for inspiration. Be curious about the experiences of the people in your life: your elders, your friends, work colleagues, neighbors, and everyone in between.
A book that has heavily influenced my work is All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes by Maya Angelou, which documents her time living in Ghana. I believe it is required reading for anyone interested in the relationship between Africans in the diaspora and Africans on the continent. Many of the themes she wrote about are still incredibly relevant today.
What wisdom or encouragement would you offer to the next generation of Black women leaders entering this space?
1. Build and maintain a strong network. Many of the work and speaking opportunities I have received have been through my network. I particularly love Issa Rae’s advice of
‘networking across.’ Connecting with people who are at a similar life or career stage as you can be just as helpful as connecting with people who are a few stages ahead of you.
2. Don’t be afraid to do something novel or different just because no one has done it before. Someone has to be the first, so why not you?
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3. TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH! This is the most important thing you can do for
yourself. Do whatever you need to do to make your health a priority because if you are
ill, you won’t have the capacity to do any of the amazing work you have been called to
do.
How can people stay connected to and support your work? Please share your website, social media, current campaigns, or other ways to get involved.
My primary social media platforms are LinkedIn and my Instagram page where I share information related to African migration and the African diaspora. You can also follow The Nana Project’s Instagram page to learn more about Ghana’s history. You can also visit my personal website: www.kirstiekwarteng.com and the website for The Nana Project. Lastly, you can listen to The Too Known Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon
Music.