African garments took center stage recently at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples, where Dr. Maria Beebe explained the traditions and symbolism behind each piece.

“Clothing can tell us where someone is from, what role they hold, what ceremony they are attending, or how they wish to present themselves to the world,” Beebe said.

Beebe traveled to 22 African countries during four decades of fieldwork and said clothing often reflected both culture and expectation.

“The one time, I was sort of wearing, not really a short skirt, but maybe below the knee, and I went to the market [in Sudan], and somebody started to follow me and whipped me on the legs,” she said.

She later adopted a traditional floor length dress known as a ‘jellabiya’, describing the loose cotton garment as practical for both the climate and local customs.

“It was so hot that from the time I started [laundry] from one end of the clothesline to the other end, these clothes were dry,” she said.

The presentation also featured traditional clothing from several African regions and the meanings attached to them. One presenter modeled an Algerian wedding dress decorated with embroidered gold and silver coins which symbolized a wealthy spouse. Another wore a dashiki while Beebe discussed the garment’s cross-continental influence during the Civil Rights movement in the United States during the 1960s.

“The dashiki emerges as a living language,” Beebe said. “A symbol of unity and dignity and resistance.”

Beebe also displayed a ceremonial mask from Liberia and explained the symbolism carved into its features.

“The broad forehead is for intelligence. The small mouth is, keep your mouth shut, be demure. And the hair signifies social cooperation, because you need someone else to help you with your hair, you can't do it by yourself, and you have to do it for others as well.”

After decades of receiving clothing and artifacts from communities across Africa, Beebe said she wanted to share the meaning behind the items with others.

“By presenting it to me, they’re already inviting me into their culture,” she said. “We give this to you because we want you to wear it and show others how beautiful our things are.”

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