Looking at this “Middle Passage Cartouche Pendant” provides a glimpse into one of the most impactful period in American history that makes you ask, “How was it possible for ANYONE to endure this lengthy, dehumanizing middle passage?” The insatiable greed for profits and reckless disregard for Black African people fueled this maltreatment that was 1000 times more evil than this graphic depiction of Africans crammed in the hull of a ship. This striking representation of the horrific cruelty and heartless exploitation of the first people make you ponder the enduring stench of death, unbearable torture, weighty chains that stifled and killed millions on these perilous journeys to subsequently tolerate a brutal enslavement and injustice for centuries. The strength and courage it took to survive such suffering and barbarism illustrates Africans ability to persist, thrive and succeed against all odds.

As legitimate heirs to royalty, skilled craftsmen, scientists, productive people and earth’s resources we must never, ever give up, continue to fight, demand reparations that is rightfully ours and never allow this tragic injustice to happen again. Without our creativity, talent,
humanity, labor, strength, perseverance and caring souls there would be nothing. Black people are the spark that stimulate and create all the wealth in the universe for we are indigenous to the universe, creator and they will always be our refuge. Blacks as a people will always overcome as long as we love and support each other.

I designed an Egyptian cartouche pendant to represent the middle passage because our Egyptian pharaohs and royalty wore cartouches to protect them from evil spirits in life and after death. A cartouche is a carved tablet or drawing with Egyptian hieroglyphs usually representing names of royalty and enclosed by an oblong shape frame for protection. The horizontal bar at the bottom indicated that the enclosed name was a member of royalty. I
depicted inscribed sarcophagi to represent the precious, royal human lives that were on those slave ships. On the backside of the pendant are 4 well known Egyptian symbols, The Ankh, Rising Sun, Three Pyramids of Giza and The Eye of Ra.

You can proudly wear this symbolic “Middle Passage Cartouche Pendant” which is my artistic expression of the savagery experienced by our ancestors that we must never forget. This cartouche is the first in a series of our collection that documents and awakens Black people to our rich, essential history that’s told truthfully only by us.

The 4 Egyptian symbols on the back of the cartouche are well known and have tremendous meaning and importance. The Ankh in the Rising Sun symbolizes eternal life, fertility rising from the light and warmth of the Life Giver Sun God Ra. The Ankh is one of the most widely used ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and is a precursor to the Christian cross, which was found in Egyptian drawings.  It also symbolizes rebirth and a new beginning like the sunrise and sunrays. The sun was very important to ancient Egyptians who worshipped it as a God. They believed life, warmth and light emanated from the life giving rays of the sun.

The Three Pyramids of Giza are renowned Egyptian architecture and are one of the Seven Wonders of the World. They were built as tombs for pharaohs and queens who believed in the afterlife and prepared their elaborate resting places with valuable artifacts and essentials they thought they would need for a comfortable eternity. These three pyramids are called the Pyramid of Menkaure, Pyramid of Khafre and the great Pyramid of Khufu named after the pharaohs they were built for. These masterpieces of architecture still stand today after almost 5 thousand years and is a testimony to the Egyptians’ genius, creativity and skill. The Pyramids have long been robbed and stripped of their treasures and mummies by invaders.

The Eye of Ra on the Pyramids is the right eye of the Egyptian sun God Ra, which is an extension of his power. It is not to be confused with the Eye of Horus which is the left eye and the symbol of power, protection and good health. The Eye of Ra is a symbol of royal authority and represents the heat and wrath of the sun. The Sun God Ra was thought to be the creator of all life and seasons and a very powerful deity in ancient Egypt.

The Ankh, Rising Sun, Three Pyramids of Giza and The Eye of Ra, are just a few representations of the Black Egyptians’ impressive, vast, rich culture and civilization. They were one of the oldest human civilization that successfully lasted thousands of years because they
communicated ancient knowledge and values between generations. Egyptians have made it clear what they looked like and who they were in all the art, sculptures and architecture left behind. These captivating people were extremely intelligent, creative, talented, prophetic and way ahead of their time.

The Black Egyptians left behind massive wealth, knowledge and artifacts although many of the magnificent architecture and sculptures were destroyed or damaged. Their remarkable history, culture, art and valuables were stolen, copied by conquerors and  thieves who reside in Egypt and other parts of Northern Africa today. Discoveries are still being unearthed that reveal even more about the Black Egyptian history and their relation to the Black first people. They have left us many hidden clues to find and learn who we are and where we came from.