The Classics in Ghana: Interview with Charis Addai

Charis Addai is a scholar from Ghana, resident of the International House of New York and current classics student at Columbia University. In this interview, he shares with us his views on the standing of classics in Ghana, how he came to the topic, the importance of classics, and how we share them with more students all over the world. 

Tell us a bit about your background and how you came to be in New York City. 

I am from Ghana, a wonderful anglophone country in West Africa that shares its land borders with francophone countries. I went to a private school until class 2 (second grade) and then continued in the public system of education. 

I have a Bachelor's degree from University of Ghana-Legon, where I graduated with a political science and classics combined major. I decided to obtain a second degree in classics, and I got the opportunity to apply for the postgraduate certificate program at Columbia University to help improve my languages, since I would want to remain in academia, and having a career in classics with little or no knowledge in the classical languages (Latin and Greek) is a difficult task. I got in through the department's DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusive) fellowship, otherwise I wouldn't be here today. 

Are the classics, Latin and Greek, taught in Ghana? If not, how did you come to be interested in the classics? 

Classics is taught in two universities in Ghana (University of Cape Coast and University of Ghana) although they don't have a lot of students pursuing through to the final year. Latin is taught in private schools that teach A-level exams. These are very expensive schools that usually consist of kids of diplomats and top ranking government officials. In the universities, Greek and Latin courses are just introductory ones. 

Actually, I stumbled into classics. Most high schools have Latin phrases on their emblem, but that was the farthest I had come into contact with Latin, until I entered university. I entered without knowing what classics was about or even having heard about it. I got classics as part of three courses the university gave me: political science, philosophy & classics and archaeology. The classics department is merged with the philosophy department. Political science was the main deal and the others were just for the grades. 

When I got to my third year, we had a visiting lecturer who liked my name, "Charis," which I already knew was the Greek word for Grace, because my parents, who are Baptist pastors, had some exposure to Greek during their days in school. I came in contact with this lecturer when I was "shopping" for classes to attend (during the first week) and I heard she was looking for me so I ended up taking her course (gender studies in Ancient Greek). I enjoyed it and later made my home in the classics department. What actually increased my interest was how similar our world still was, and how Aristophanes could make people laugh through his plays, while also using those same plays to serve as a mirror to society.

How do you think we can introduce more students to these subjects? 

I believe that it is all about creating that awareness, exposure, and incorporating classics in our basic school education. Classics is more than the myths, and we need to let students in the lower levels know about them, and how analytical they are. I had heard about geography, economics, government studies, which is usually linked to political science, literature, and all the others in primary school and secondary school. I had been exposed to them, so it was much easier to be inclined towards these courses when I moved to the university and was considering a degree program. I had never done any intensive Latin or Greek, and I didn't know what classics was about, so naturally these factors would make me less inclined towards a course like classics.

Do you think Latin is a “dead” language? Why or why not? 

I don't think Latin is a dead language because we have it all around us, and it is still included in our day-to-day conversations. Lawyers still learn it in school, and they are proud when they're able to quote a law phrase correctly. Besides, it helps in the learning of the English language, and other inflected languages. Below is a picture with a Latin phrase used during an interview session of the majority leader today (in Ghana) and from my basic knowledge in Latin, I could understand what he meant. 

Why have you found the study of ancient history so much more insightful than history in general?

I think that ancient history gives me the opportunity to investigate these happenings in the past and relate them to what I am seeing now. History in general sounds more like knowing some fun facts and just ending there. Classical history gives me room to analyze and figure out how useful the information I have is to my existence in general.

It’s obvious to see influences of the classics, and Latin and Greek, in the USA and in western culture. What about in Ghana? Do you see these influences?

For influences, I can't directly see them. I think we are gradually moving away from knowing how similar it is to our culture, and moving into how we have received classics, hence the springing up of African classical reception with the aim of finding out and making it known to others as to how we have received classics. 

What do you think about Howard University’s decision to eliminate their classics course this year? 

Howard University's decision is a sad one, especially because it is the only HBCU with a classics department, and with the number of African Americans in the US, it meant a lot to them. But this decision gives some insight into how a lot of people, including most Africans, see classics. Howard is known for its STEM courses, and the tune that is being played in Ghana is captured in this; STEM is the way forward, not classics. 

It is a pity, because when COVID hit and most countries were on lockdown, it was these virtues preached about by Cicero and others that were being spread around. People were yearning for that sense of belonging, and not looking for their automobile mechanics. Nobody cared about rockets going into space at that time. We were searching various literature to see how the Ancient Romans and Greeks survived similar pandemics. Personally, I think it is misplaced priorities. Focusing on something else doesn't mean another group of people have to suffer. Since it is not a race, I believe that there is a way in which we can all win together without one party suffering big time.

Pandora, John William Waterhouse, 1896 C.E.

What is your favorite classical myth, and why? 

My favorite classical myth is Pandora's box, because it talks about the coming into being of a woman, and what I have always believed that women are adorned with (that is the gifts she received from the gods). I like it because I could easily remember it, and it made more sense to me than the others I heard. 

Is there anything else you would like to share? 

I have grown to love this African Zulu word Ubuntu which is translated as "I am because you are." I believe that together we can make it work. Let us keep on talking about classics to others, preaching to them through our lifestyle, and finding ways to make the study of classics reach people who are underrepresented in this field (basically the African countries) because teamwork makes the dream work and there is almost always strength in numbers. 

Thank you.