New African King Is A Female Secretary From Washington, D.C.
Click here to see the photo from the Washington Post
Nearly 15 months ago, Washington, D.C.-based secretary Peggielene Bartels received a phone call that would change her life forever. Early one morning, at 4:00 AM to be exact, a phone call came that woke Bartels from her sleep. The call came from Otuam, a seaside town in the African nation of Ghana. The caller addressed Bartels as “Nana”, which is a term Ghanians use to refer to people of high stature. Bartels, who is not a grandmother and does not have any children of her own, thought that the call was a joke, according to an article in the Washington Post.
The caller stated that the King of Otuam had recently passed away, and that the village elders had selected her as their new king. The King of Otuam was the uncle of Peggielene Bartels, and the village elders performed a traditional ritual to decide upon the heir to the throne. The ritual consisted of praying, then pouring schnapps on the ground. The elders waited for the steam to rise as they called out the names of 25 relatives. The steam would indicate the name of the relative who was destined to be king. The elders announced that Peggielene Bartels was to become the new King of Otuam.
When the caller broke the news, Bartels stated, “Oh please don’t play games with me”, and proceeded to tell the caller that since she was female, she would be more suited for the role of queen. The caller replied that the only position available was that of king, and said that they already had a queen. Bartels told the Washington Post that the caller said to her: “Things are changing. Women can now hold many more positions, even king. You have to accept it”. Read more…
