Yaa Asantewaa, in 1900, led the Ashanti rebellion known as the War of the Golden Stool (also known as the Yaa Asantewaa war) against British colonial rule.
That bold act is stuck in Ghanaian history and the queen mother of Ejisu in the then Ashanti Empire is celebrated for her act of bravery and nationalism.
Actress Yvonne Nelson has also inked her name in Ghanaian history. She led thousands of Ghanaians to protest against a three-year power crisis that has rendered many jobless as businesses fold up and caused some unfortunate and regrettable deaths.
Ghanaians have likened her to the Ejisu queen whose name is now synonymous with any defiance and bravery and courage.
Yvonne is now called Yaa Asantewaa because she led thousands of Ghanaians from Legon old gate to the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange last Saturday to protest and press on the government to solve the crisis, popularly known as ‘Dumsor’.
She was joined by Van Vicker, Prince David Osei, Barimah Sydney and others on a vigil dubbed #dumsormuststop.
Speaking in an interview with news site, Pulse Ghana, the actress said, “As a Ghanaian, I was frustrated, I believe my people, Ghanaians, are also frustrated so I was just speaking up for every Ghanaian.”
The actress thanked Ghanaians for nicknaming her Yaa Asantewaa. According to her, the name tag is humbling, adding jovially that she is going to add it to her name.
“Yaa Asantewaa is a huge name and it’s really humbling that anyone would call me Yaa Asantewaa. As a matter of fact, I love it. Let me put it in there Yvonne Yaa Asantewaa Nelson so that’s like my new name right now.”
Asked what the next line of action is, after a successful #dumsormuststop vigil, Yvonne Nelson said she and her colleagues are yet to decide on that.
“We all need to sit down and plan the next campaign that we want to do. We just want to be the voice, we just want to speak up for the people so anything that would help Ghana, help the nation, help the people, we are there to support,” she said.
