Efia & I Talk Narrative Power, Black Identity in Canada & Why ADNC Summit Matters

Añadido: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]Hey, ADNC fam. Emma Ansah here, and I'm here with my newest esteemed colleague from the African Diaspora News Channel, Efia Tetteh Quarshie.

[00:00:12]And here we are, two Ghanaian sisters that live in Canada, and we're here to talk about the importance of us controlling our narrative. But, seeing that Efia is new to the channel, I'm going to allow her to tell y'all a little bit more about herself, and then we'll get into the conversation. So, Efia, tell us more about yourself. Thank you so much, Emma.

[00:00:35]Ladies and gentlemen, hello.

[00:00:38]As Emma introduced me, my name is Efia Tetteh Quarshie.

[00:00:43]Okay?

[00:00:43]>> Okay, I missed you that middle part.

[00:00:46]Hey, Tetteh Quarshie. So, my chain, very proud of my Ghanaian roots.

[00:00:51]I am a Ghanaian Canadian, born in Toronto, Canada.

[00:00:55]But, I am a Ghanaian.

[00:00:58]I am also a mother of three. I am a avid diasporan, a diasporan power strategist, and I base most of my work on reconnecting the diaspora with the continent of Africa. And that's at different stages of our life cycle, whether it's youth, adults, or the elderly trying to reconnect us and see how we all can work together as we once did on the continents back before the people them came, and really really really really trying to make that a priority for those of us who are losing or who are miss who are missing out on what that all meant, right?

[00:01:36]I am excited to be here with you all.

[00:01:38]I'm starting my journey. This is going to be one of my earlier videos that I'm doing, and my second one with Miss Emma.

[00:01:45]Emma's been so kind, so thank you so much for helping to introduce me to the audience, and I'm ready to get into it, you know? I'm ready to get into it. Yes, and we're happy to have you on board.

[00:01:55]Welcome to the ADNC family. So, now let's just get into this, okay? We're talking about narrative power.

[00:02:01]And how important that is. So, I've been asking everybody that I'm talking to, how important is that? And what does that mean for us to have narrative power and to be in control of our narrative, especially as black people? And you know, and I know, especially as black people in this here country, Canada.

[00:02:23]Yeah.

[00:02:24]Yeah, I mean, I think it means a lot because black people, especially black women, um are the stories told about us are never just stories. Like they've been shaped they've shaped how we've been treated in schools, workplaces, media, relationships, politics, um and even when we're facing violence. So, being able to tell our own story and not allowing someone to dictate our stories cuz we've seen they're rewriting history. Things that didn't happen, they're saying it happened. They're ignoring things that that show our power and our resilience, and instead replacing those with stories of weakness, untruths, and reasons why they believe that what has happened to us in the past should have happened and justifying those things, right? Erasing our greatness, our royalty, and all of that. So, we have to continue to be able to tell our stories loud and proud and not allow anyone to diminish our power.

[00:03:19]And the colonization continues, too. So, it's super important for us to control our narrative and our history and our stories, despite the fact that there's erasure is a real thing, especially here in Canada. They love to erase stuff. You know, they're trying so hard to erase a lot of the black history. Fortunately, fortunately, there are, you know, some organizations that are still trying to make sure that it's recognized, but the quiet erasure is happening. And that's why it's so important and it's so good uh to have independent black media in play because then we really do control our narrative and it's like ours. Like you can't take that away from us. So, despite the fact you may not want to put it in schools and you may not want to put it in libraries and you may not want to have teachers teaching it and and all of that good stuff, we're now in a position with the digital era where we can control our narrative, okay? It's accessible. It's accessible.

[00:04:19]>> And you know how quickly things can go viral. I mean, it it it spreads like wildfire. So, It's amazing cuz I feel like we had these small pockets before and people didn't know where to get this information. And as you mentioned, in the digital era, like it's you're not going to know if you don't want to know. But if you want to find, you'll find, right? And so, Network A and C is huge. Like, coming across It's coming across you and then you showing me this, like, it's been such a uh spirit uplifting because there's a home for people who actually want to come together and celebrate our blackness and our ancestry and really have talk deep dive about things that matter to us without being censored.

[00:05:01]Let's be real. You know what I mean? And having a narrative and being able to talk speak on your narrative and protect your narrative, we we understand how important it is because narrative determines who is worthy of protection, right? If you can't tell your stories, if you can't tell what's happening, then people either just don't know, they're ignorant to, or they are able to continue to lie on, right? And so, being able to talk about things, real issues in our communities, is huge. Having a safe place for black people to go to get real life facts, real life history, real life current events is of of the utmost importance and must be protected.

[00:05:40]I mean, it's everything. It's everything. If you think back to a situation where you experienced anti-black racism before the digital era, before we got, you know, saturated with independent black media. Think of a time where that you went through something like that and how you handled it and what in your mind in hindsight would you say, you know, wishing that you had that narrative power at the time when it was happening?

[00:06:11]Yeah, you know, being able to be believed when I said certain things happened. Do you know what I mean? Like it's one thing to be able to speak on something and it's another thing for someone not to believe your story, right? That's not true. Or how could that have happened? Or no, we don't do those things. Now we're in a age where we have cameras readily available. We have people sharing experiences. Nobody can say, "No, this doesn't happen here.

[00:06:37]This isn't a constant. This isn't something that is a a pandemic even." Let's let's go ahead and use that word.

[00:06:44]Um it's something that we're seeing often. When when George Floyd was murdered and we saw it on TV, everybody was home. Remember that time? Like we were home. We were sitting around, some of us doing TikToks. I'm not going to say who because some of us didn't make it. We were not stars on TikTok. But we were all on social media. We were at home watching news. So for everybody, white, black, brown, others, to actually see these things, it's like, "Oh my goodness. Oh, I didn't know. Oh, that Yeah, we knew. Now you have no choice but to stand witness to." It was blasted everywhere. So the story was be it was able to be told and at the time it was shocking to some.

[00:07:20]But I think now we've become more numb again because we see it again and again and again and again. So there's also harm in that as well.

[00:07:27]And do you know when that happened to George Floyd, I think everybody can remember where they were when they saw this thing happen. It's one of those transcending moments that it's just like you you polarizing and uh you know, you you think the cockacity but then at the same time, no surprise, uh you know, because it's the level of of how uh entitled some of these folks think that they are, especially when you have a badge. You feel like you even have the utmost of authority, right? To do whatever it is you want to do to a black person. And and I just remember thinking, "This is great that everybody is coming together and you're seeing globally how people are banding together." I mean, when I saw witches come out, witches came out, okay? The Amish came out to sign.

[00:08:18]That's when I was like, "Oh, this is a really a movement." But, I didn't think it was going to make a difference in what was going on with our people. And so said, so done. Here we are, we're still going through it. The racial unrest exists. It Sorry, it still exists. But, but again, we live in a digital era now.

[00:08:39]We live in a world now where we as black people, we don't even have to be journalists. We we we just got to get our camera and turn it on. Yeah.

[00:08:47]>> Right? So, whether we're being pulled over, whether we're, you know, being racialized in a store, whether we're being followed around, whatever the case may be, we are now in a in an age where we can expose these people without contacting CBC or contacting them and saying, "Can you please tell my story?" We don't have to do that. What's happening now is when black people are turning on our cameras and saying, "Look at what's happening to me." Those outlets are reaching out to us. Yeah.

[00:09:19]Yeah. To talk to us about what's going on, you see? So, therein lies the power of us and our narrative and how we can use it to control our narrative, which leads me to the ADNC Narrative Power Summit and the importance of this event. And Ms. Efia is one of the esteemed panelists at the ADNC Narrative Power Summit. So, when we're having these conversations, it's going to be, you know, really good to have you on. So, what are you looking forward to most about the summit?

[00:09:54]Yeah, I'm looking forward to connecting with other like-minded people, right?

[00:09:58]It's one thing to sit up on a panel and talk with people who do some of the same things that you do and have the same kind of mindset as you and I'm assuming that people who are there would, but being able to network with the crowd afterwards, right? Like these are our people. This is our community. And sometimes you need that to recharge, right? Because we do this work and like I don't want to say I'm new to the I'm not new to this stuff. Like in this way, yes, but in telling the stories of black people, I'm not. And so it's it it becomes it gets to a point where sometimes you feel like, am I doing any good for my people? What what am I moving this needle along at all? And to be in a place such as the Narrative Power Summit where other people are listening to you speak, are agreeing or disagreeing, but there's dialogue, um coming to a space where you feel like what I'm saying actually matters.

[00:10:45]There's people who are actually listening and waiting for me for my thoughts, right? It's just rejuvenating, you know, and I'm really looking forward to being in a black space with black people. I I need that. I need that. I don't traditionally get that in my everyday space. I don't know that the spaces I'm in are necessarily safe, but I'm looking forward to talking to safe people, to being in rooms with safe people, right? And and continuing to have these conversations.

[00:11:12]And that's the key. It's the safety.

[00:11:14]It's the security. It's It's the finally being in a space where you are with, like you said, like-minded people, but people that are the same color and people that, you know, have shared experiences and you're finally in a space where you don't have to feel like, okay, wait.

[00:11:33]Kind of like when we go to Ghana. You know, the one thing you don't have to worry about when you touch down on that continent and when you touch down in your country is, am I going to be racially profiled when I walk into this store? So, when you're you know, at the Narrative Power Summit, we're going to be with a group of people that, you know, look like us and we're going to have those conversations, but the best part of it is it's going to be interactive. So, you know, we'll be talking with people and everybody will be having those conversations together, right? And then also, there will be people, you know, in the room that may be able to relate to not being able to tap into their power and not really understanding the power that they have or not knowing how to deal with certain situations and they'll be able to learn from our esteemed panelists, including yourself, right? So, that's what I love about what this ADNC Narrative Power Summit is bringing to Toronto. Thank you, Phillip Scott and >> [clears throat] >> Demetrius K and and all of that and Emmanuel Kulu and Salam Debs, all of the people that are going to be on this panel. But then also, it's going to be music, it's going to be vibes, it's going to be good times, it's going to be networking, it's going to be making connections, you know, all of those things, which is why we are saying, y'all need to get your tickets. And you know I'm going to put it in the description field below. I'm not going to stop saying it. You're going to miss out if you don't get your tickets ahead of time and come and hang out with us July 25th, Aqua Supper Club. Anything that you want to say to the people, Effia? Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing you all there. I definitely want to make sure you guys get your tickets as soon as possible.

[00:13:15]Um, like like Emma said, it's interactive.

[00:13:18]It's the social aspect to it. It's not just about listening to people talk.

[00:13:22]Like, let's come have a conversations.

[00:13:23]Let's come like meet each other, you know, listen to good music, eat good food. Can't wait for the food. Shout out, Ryan. Um Okay. Can't can't wait for that. But really like let's get to know each other, you know? Let's let's learn from each other, continue to learn from each other, and come together as professionals. Like we are all people doing I hope great in all the fields that we're in, and I want to see that displayed on July 25th. Like that's what I want to see that. Like we occupy all these spaces. Come and show out. Let's talk.

[00:13:52]>> Yes, bring the black excellence. Bring your best drip. Come and hang out with us. It's going to be a great vibe. It's going to be a good time, you know? Um I know that y'all always hear me talking about the things that go on here in Canada.

[00:14:07]Because, you know, it is a thing, but you know, as a visitor coming, and I'm talking about people coming from Buffalo and Detroit, all y'all that are close to the border, I expect you to get in your car, train, plane, whatever, highway, byways, and then come on down and hang out with us, you know? You see us on screen all the time. Now's the opportunity to come and meet us in person.

[00:14:29]So, what are you waiting for? You know what I wanted to add, too? It's just at the end of the World Cup, too, right?

[00:14:34]So, guess Guess what?

[00:14:35]>> Yes, FIFA. That means the PRICES ARE GOING DOWN, FOLKS. THAT MEANS IT'S GOING TO BE CHEAPER to stay, cheaper to get rental cars, and cheaper food, okay? So, you don't really have to worry about that. Um Toronto is somewhat of a welcoming city. Um our multicultural place, I would say, in the core of Toronto. Um and so we're there anyways. We're going to make you guys feel amazing and great, and welcome you truly to where we stay at for now until we get back to the continent. But we here, and uh excited to meet you guys.

[00:15:04]Yes, we really are. So, again, grab your tickets africandiasporanews.org/canada.

[00:15:11]And as I said, I'll put the link below.

[00:15:13]Grab your tickets. Come hang out with us all. Thank you, Afia. Look out for Afia.

[00:15:18]She's going to be bringing some content and really good stuff. So, make sure that you tune in to what Afia is also bringing to this channel. And also, tune in to what everybody else is bringing.

[00:15:29]Everybody's crushing. Everybody's delivering the news. So, support independent black media. So, thank you.

[00:15:36]Thank you. Thank you. We shall see you soon. Until then, please be safe everyone and we will see you in Toronto.

[00:15:44]Can't wait for it.