A group of Democrats put on the shawls made of Kente cloth, closely associated with Ghana, as they kneeled for eight minutes and 46 seconds
Democratic politicians have faced a backlash after wearing colourful shawls made from a traditional African textile to mark the death of George Floyd.
Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, the most senior Democrats in the House of Representatives and Senate respectively, were among those wearing the items.
A group of a few dozen Democrats had put on the shawls made of Kente cloth, closely associated with Ghana, as they kneeled on Monday morning for eight minutes and 46 seconds.
The kneeling took place below the Capitol building in Washington D. C. The time was how long a white police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck before his death – the trigger for nationwide protests.
Modern Kente is known for its rich colours, which are woven into geometric designs.
Images of the congressmen, some of them white, wearing the garments prompted a backlash on social media, with the word “kente” trending on Twitter in America, according to the BBC.
