A Minor in Royalty

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A student at NC State can gain a great deal from their time spent in Raleigh, but graduate student Andre Kinlaw earned a singular honor during his tenure. As part of his Master’s program in International Development, Kinlaw visited Ghana in 1993 for two months. In some ways his stay resembled a typical study abroad experience. He stayed with a host family while working with a local entrepreneur on a pineapple farm for a charitable goal. The pineapple proprietor wanted to can and export the fruit and then return the profits to his community. Kinlaw’s expertise in International Development made him a natural assistant in such an endeavor. After the two months were up Kinlaw returned to NC State to finish his studies.

Yet Kinlaw’s experience in Ghana was punctuated by one remarkable fact: Kinlaw became a prince during his stay. The owner of the pineapple farm was Nana Gyan Kwesi II, a local chief. Kinlaw’s effective assistance of Kwesi’s project earned him an African name, Oheneba Kwame Gyamfi. At first Kinlaw did not know what the name meant, when locals heard his first name, Oheneba, he learned that his new name meant “son of a chief.” Not just a sign of affection but rather a full-fledged title. Kinlaw took part in a ceremony in which he became adopted and repatriated into Kwesi’s community. In fact, another chief also adopted Kinlaw after they worked together. Therefore, Andre Kinlaw is effectively a Ghanaian prince twice over. The only requirement of the title that Kinlaw did not fulfill was the taking of several wives; The Technician quotes Kinlaw as responding to that request with the emphatic “no, no, no!”

Today, Andre Kinlaw has fully adopted his role as an adopted Ghanaian leader. He now uses the name Oheneba Kwame Gyamfi exclusively. Last year, Gyamfi ran for Congress in Maryland on a platform of judicial reform. Although Gyamfi did not win the Democratic primary, he is active in trying to link African-American communities in the United States with Ghana. Gyamfi earned much more than a degree from NC State; he garnered a new name, a royal title, and a new way to define his identity.

For more on interesting student experiences at NC State, please visit Historical State .

Sources: The Technician, December 8, 1993, p.5-6; http://www.africa-interactive.com/site/user_profile/4264, http://www.kgforcongress.org/