Ghana gained its independence in 1957, just over half a century before Hartman’s arrival. How might Ghana’s recent political history explain or inform the social and political environment Hartman encounters when she begins her research project?

In Hartman’s view, to what degree did the transatlantic slave trade radically alter the character and significance of African practices of enslavement, even though these practices existed before colonization?

At one point, Hartman mentions Thomas Sankara. Research him and discuss his significance for the dream of a more egalitarian world that Hartman articulates.