From America to Africa: Intimate Access to the Funeral of Rev. Dr. Christiana Darko

I was hired by the Darko Family and given unlimited access to document the four day funeral of their matriarch, Rev. Dr. Christiana Darko. She and her husband, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Darko, have positively impacted education, religion, medicine, agriculture and the Ghanaian economy on an international level. The official services started in Houston, TX with the final burial rites concluding in Kumasi, Ghana. Thousands paid their respects including the current president of Ghana, interdenominational spiritual leaders, tribal chiefs and kings, political dignitaries, extended family, church members, and friends.

I believe we all have a longing for community and a deep sense of emotional connection. This assignment became very personal to me after I spent time getting to know the members of the family and sharing in their joy and sadness. I spent time at the Darko home listening to stories relayed by relatives about the 60's up until the present day. The invitation to learn allowed me to be present in the moment as both participant and observer. A Naturalist, in fact. I was reminded of my feelings last year in California when I attended the funeral of a man I did not know.

I will do a full re-post after editing the hundreds of images from the past two weeks.

 Ross Oscar Knight Photography - Destination Travel Cultural Awareness Photographers

From America to Africa: Intimate Access to the Funeral of Rev. Dr. Christiana Darko