This is an archived UW-P news item,
originally posted: 10/2/2009.
Free trade lecture on Ghanaian Chocolate Oct. 6
The University of Wisconsin-Parkside Center for Ethnic Studies presents a tasty look at global marketing and free trade during the program "Ghanaian Chocolates: A Global Story." Featuring Steven Wallace, founder and president of the Milwaukee-based Omanhene Cocoa Bean Company, the program takes place Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 12:30 p.m. on campus.
Ghana is the world's second-largest cocoa bean producer. At age 16, Wallace spent a year living in rural Ghana as a foreign exchange student, which he calls a transformative experience. After earning a law degree at the University of Chicago and working in the private sector, Wallace returned to his native Milwaukee and created Omanhene, marketing chocolate bars and cocoa products made and packaged entirely in that West African country.
"I think this will be interesting for our students and the community to gain an understanding of the trans-global relationship between our two countries," said UW-Parkside Communication Professor Fay Akindes who serves as director of the Center for Ethnic Studies.
Akindes went on to say students and area residents can get a true first-hand look at both Omanhene and Ghana during a study trip there Dec. 29, 2009 to Jan. 16, 2010. In addition to visiting Omanhene's office in Accra, the trip includes visits to the W.E.B. DuBois Institute, the Elmina Slave Castles, the Ashanti Kingdom of Kumasi, the Volta Dam, and other sites.
"Ghanaian Chocolates: A Global Story" with Steven Wallace is held in the Student Center Cinema. Admission is free and open to everyone. The program is sponsored by the UW-Parkside Center for Ethnic Studies with support from the Center for International Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business and Technology's Global Education Center, and the UW-Parkside Lectures and Fine Arts Committee.
More information about the lecture and the Ghana trip, call the UW-Parkside Center for Ethnic Studies at 262-595-2561.Publish date: 10/2/2009
