Nana-Ama
1.7K posts
Nana-Ama
@Ninagoldsmith
Mom, Daughter, Sister, Friend. 🇺🇸 🇬🇭
California, USA Joined Aralık 2012
2.2K Following676 Followers
Nancy Cunard was born in 1896 into one of Britain’s wealthiest and most influential families. Her grandfather, Samuel Cunard, created the famous transatlantic shipping empire Cunard Line. Her father, Sir Bache Cunard, was a baronet, and her mother, Lady Maud Cunard, was a famous London socialite who hosted royalty and political leaders.
Nancy’s life seemed prewritten. As an aristocratic daughter in Edwardian Britain, she was expected to marry within high society, maintain the family reputation, and move comfortably within elite social circles.
She chose a very different path.
In 1920s Cunard rejected the rigid expectations of her class. She cut her hair short, wore striking stacks of African-inspired bangles, and moved into avant-garde artistic circles in London and Paris. She became involved with leading modernist writers and artists.
Rather than remaining a socialite, she turned to literature and publishing.
In 1928, she founded Hours Press in Normandy, France. Using a hand press, she personally printed experimental literature by writers that traditional publishers often ignored. Among works she published was an early piece by Samuel Beckett, who would later become one of most important literary figures of 20th century. She also published work connected to figures such as Ezra Pound.
Around the same time, Cunard met Henry Crowder, a Black American pianist performing in Europe. Their relationship became widely known and triggered intense hostility from British high society and from parts of the press.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, interracial relationships were heavily stigmatized in both Britain and the United States. Cunard faced public criticism, racist attacks in newspapers, and a permanent break with her mother. The scandal effectively cut her off from her family’s social and financial support.
Rather than retreat, Cunard became increasingly outspoken about racism.
Turning to activism
Her experiences and travels exposed her to racial injustice and colonial oppression across Europe, Africa, and the United States. She spent time in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance and met writers and thinkers such as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and W. E. B. Du Bois.
In 1934, Cunard published her most ambitious work: Negro: An Anthology.
The massive volume included essays, poetry, historical documents, photographs, and music by more than 150 contributors from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States. It addressed slavery, colonialism, racism, and Black cultural history.
The book was groundbreaking but controversial. Some colonial governments banned it, and it sold slowly at first. Over time, however, it became recognized as one of the earliest major compilations documenting Black history and intellectual life across the Atlantic world.
Anti-fascism and war work
Cunard’s activism expanded beyond racial justice. During the 1930s she publicly opposed fascism and wrote about international conflicts.
She reported on Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia under Benito Mussolini and supported anti-fascist causes during the Spanish Civil War.
During World War II, she worked in London helping the French Resistance as a translator.
Later years and legacy
Despite her early wealth, Cunard spent most of her life financially unstable. Much of her inheritance had been spent on publishing, political work, and activism.
She died in Paris in 1965 at the age of 69.
Although her name is less widely known today than many of the writers she supported, historians increasingly recognize her influence. She helped promote modernist literature, documented Black intellectual and cultural life at a crucial moment in history, and used her social position to challenge racism and fascism when doing so was deeply unpopular.
Nancy Cunard’s life illustrates how someone born into extraordinary privilege chose to spend that privilege not preserving the system that produced it, but confronting it.
#archaeohistories
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@iloilosage @ggoneverse Yes. The full name is: The Guardian: The Lonely and Great Goblin.
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@ggoneverse I am not able to find a kdrama by the name of Goblin is there another name for it by any chance?
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@ggoneverse This scene ! The crying she did after L, just tore me up ... I love this k drama. it's my all time favorite k drama. I love Gong Yoo and Kim Go-Eun because of this show.
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@gongyoosimp Gong Yoo Oppa is 46! He's crushing a lot of the you guys ! Aging so nicely !
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Nana-Ama retweeted
@Ninagoldsmith Many thanks for reaching out to us. We are pleased to be of service. We sincerely apologize for the experience. Kindly, you can equally share details of your request via our DM for further assistance. Thank you.*Jeremy
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@AskMTNGhana : how do i get through to someone live at mtn Gh??? I've been calling the customer service number and each time I call "it says hold" and no one comes on. I'm currently outside Gh and need to talk to someone about my line. Can someone pls dm me a proper number ?
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@AskMTNGhana Done. I've sent a dm. pls have someone contact me. it's very urgent. thank you
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My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.
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@PaulCBrunson A lot can happen between now and November please. In 2016, at this time, everyone thought for sure, Hillary will win, and we all know what happened. I'm not throwing in the towel yet. People have short memories.
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@AskMTNGhana : hello MTN Gh. How do I redeem my bonus airtime on the MTN app? I googled it and it said *482#. But that’s not working. Pls help. Bonus balance keeps going down. Thx
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@SurflineGH : Eiiiii… what is going on guys … now you don’t even post updates anymore …
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