Mama Adunni: Elder Adunni Oshupa Tabasi

 

Mama Adunni: Elder Adunni Oshupa Tabasi

​Elder Adunni Oshupa Tabasi,  a longtime resident of Staten Island, the woman formerly known as Evelyn Price because a bridge between the African Diaspora and the continent of Africa. She didn't just study history; she reclaimed it, living as a "Captive African Survivor Refugee" dedicated to the dignity of her ancestors and the liberation of her descendants.

​Guardian of the Ancestors: The African Burial Ground

​In 1991, the discovery of a colonial-era cemetery containing the remains of over 400 enslaved Africans in Lower Manhattan sent shockwaves through New York. While the government saw a construction site, Adunni saw a sacred duty.

​As a prominent member of the Federal Steering Committee, Adunni became the conscience of the descendant community. Their fight was not just over land, but over the very soul of American history. Her contribution was defined by two major pillars:

• ​The Power of Language: Adunni was a fierce critic of the word "slave." She argued that "slave" was a condition imposed by an oppressor, whereas "African" was an identity. She insisted that the remains be treated as "Captive Africans," restoring their humanity in the public record.
• ​The Struggle for Sanctity: She fought against the General Services Administration (GSA) to ensure the site wasn't simply covered with a plaque or a lobby. She demanded—and helped secure—the creation of a National Monument, famously stating that the history of the Middle Passage deserved the same level of reverence as any global tragedy.

​The Architect of Return: The Ghana-Nkwanta Project

​For Elder Adunni, activism was a means to an end: "The Return." She spent decades building the logistical and diplomatic framework for African Americans to repatriate to the continent.

• ​The Land Gift: Through tireless advocacy and collaboration with the United Nations and Ghanaian traditional leadership, she helped secure a "Land Gift" in the Dadaise Adele Traditional Area of Ghana’s Nkwanta District.
• ​The Nkwanta Vision: This wasn't merely a real estate project; it was the Ghana-Nkwanta Project. Adunni envisioned a self-sufficient, sustainable community based on permaculture and shared skills, ensuring that those returning would never be "landless" again.
• ​Royal Recognition: Her devotion was recognized by the people of Ghana, who enstooled her as an Elder and Queen Mother, conferring upon her the royal name Nunu Afua Frie-Frie II.

​The Staten Island Sage

​While her vision was global, her base was Staten Island. For over 25 years, her home served as a cultural embassy. She was a fixture in the local arts scene, working with organizations like the Council on the Arts and Humanities for Staten Island (COASHI) to promote African cuisine, traditional dress, and the rhythmic beauty of Yoruba culture.

​She famously urged her community to "Dig, dig, dig" into their past, believing that psychological freedom was the prerequisite for physical liberation. To Adunni, knowing one's roots was the only way to survive the "refugee" status she felt many Africans in America were trapped in.

​A Final Homecoming

​When Elder Adunni Oshupa Tabasi passed away in January 2008, her "Going Home" ceremony was more than a funeral—it was a state event for the Diaspora. Activists, scholars, and musicians gathered in New York to celebrate a woman who had successfully bridged two worlds.

​Her remains were returned to Ghana to be buried in the soil she fought so hard to secure in 2008.  

The African Burial Ground National Monument in Manhattan and the communities in Nkwanta stand as living testaments to her belief that no African should ever be nameless.

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