🕸️ Chapter 3: Anti-Black Racism and White Supremacy
18 3.5: A Story About Gatekeeping- Anansi & the Wisdom Pot
Anansi (also spelled Ananse or Kwaku Ananse) is one of the most famous trickster figures in the world. He originated in the oral traditions of the Akan people of present-day Ghana and later spread throughout the Caribbean and the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade. In Jamaica, Suriname, Curaçao, and other parts of the African diaspora, Anansi remained an important cultural figure, preserving African storytelling traditions despite displacement and oppression. Anansi is usually portrayed as a spider, though in many stories he has both spider and human characteristics. He’s clever, witty, mischievous, and sometimes selfish. Source: ChatGPT Image created by Mikahelia Wellington on Jul 9, 2026, 05_30_43 PM. Prompt: “I want to create a unique image of the story called ‘Anansi and the Wisdom Pot “. I’m thinking the image could be in the style of old Ghanaian textile art.”
Anansi gathered all the wisdom and put it in a pot.
“All for me!” he said.
Next, Anansi wanted to hide the pot in a tree. He hung the pot around his neck and went to the tallest tree, but the pot was in the way. He couldn’t reach his arms around the tree to climb it.
A boy saw Anansi and laughed. “Sling the pot around your back, fool!” he said.
This made Anansi mad, and he realized he didn’t have all the wisdom after all.
Anansi threw down the pot. It broke, and the wisdom inside spread everywhere.
