BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//events.la.psu.edu//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20201101T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=11;BYDAY=1SU END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20200308T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=2SU END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:18929-0d71ea54d2f2c2c1bb45b3ef26abd313@events.la.psu.edu DTSTAMP:20260905T141948Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260328T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260328T110000 SUMMARY:African Studies Global Virtual Forum: Decoloniality and Southern Epistem ologies—Lydia Forson DESCRIPTION:\nLydia Forson is an award-winning Ghanaian actress\, writer \, producer\, activist\, and entrepreneur\, widely regarded as one of th e most formidable voices of her generation in African cinema and culture . A graduate of the University of Ghana\, she has built a career defined by fearless storytelling\, intellectual depth\, and an uncompromising c ommitment to excellence both on and off screen. Her work in film and tel evision has earned her critical acclaim across the continent and beyond\ , with performances that have resonated with audiences for their honesty \, emotional range\, and cultural relevance. Lydia has received major re cognition from some of Africa’s most prestigious platforms\, including n ominations and wins at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA)\, the Afri ca Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards and the Ghana Movie Awards. Her films ha ve also been showcased at leading international festivals\, including th e Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF)\, Khouribga International African Film Festival (Morocco)\, Pan-African Film and Television Festiv al of Ouagadougou (FESPACO)\,further cementing her place as a respected force in African storytelling.\n\nIn 2020\, Lydia made history as the fi rst Ghanaian ever nominated for the People’s Choice Awards\, a landmark moment that underscored her global influence and the reach of her voice beyond the continent. This recognition reflected not only her work as an actress\, but also her impact as a cultural commentator and public inte llectual in the digital space. Beyond the screen\, Lydia is a bold and p rincipled activist\, known for engaging critically with issues of govern ance\, representation\, gender equity\, creative integrity\, and social accountability. She consistently uses her platform to challenge complace ncy\, amplify underrepresented voices\, and advocate for a more thoughtf ul and responsible society. She is also the founder and CEO of Kinky Mat ters\, a heritage-driven natural hair and skincare brand rooted in Ghana ian tradition\, sustainability\, and pride in indigenous knowledge. Unde r her leadership\, the brand has received national acclaim\, including I ndigenous Brand of the Year at the Ghana Beauty\n\nAwards\, recognizing her success in translating cultural heritage into impactful entrepreneur ship. Lydia Forson stands at the intersection of creativity\, conscience \, and enterprise\; a trailblazer whose journey reflects courage\, disci pline\, and the power of using one’s voice with intention\n\nFor more de tails: https://events.la.psu.edu/event/afr-studies-global-virtual-forum- lydia-forson/ X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Lydia Forson is an award-winning Ghanaian actress, writer, producer, activist, and entr epreneur, widely regarded as one of the most formidable voices of her ge neration in African cinema and culture. A graduate of the University of Ghana, she has built a career defined by fearless storytelling, intellec tual depth, and an uncompromising commitment to excellence both on and o ff screen. Her work in film and television has earned her critical accla im across the continent and beyond, with performances that have resonate d with audiences for their honesty, emotional range, and cultural releva nce. Lydia has received major recognition from some of Africa’s most pre stigious platforms, including nominations and wins at the Africa Movie A cademy Awards (AMAA), the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards and the Gh ana Movie Awards. Her films have also been showcased at leading internat ional festivals, including the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIF F), Khouribga International African Film Festival (Morocco), Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO),further cementing her place as a respected force in African storytelling.

In 2020, Lydia made history as the first Ghanaian ever nominated for the People’s Choice Awards, a landmark moment that underscored her global influence and the reach of her voice beyond the continent. This recognition reflec ted not only her work as an actress, but also her impact as a cultural c ommentator and public intellectual in the digital space. Beyond the scre en, Lydia is a bold and principled activist, known for engaging critical ly with issues of governance, representation, gender equity, creative in tegrity, and social accountability. She consistently uses her platform t o challenge complacency, amplify underrepresented voices, and advocate f or a more thoughtful and responsible society. She is also the founder an d CEO of Kinky Matters, a heritage-driven natural hair and skincare bran d rooted in Ghanaian tradition, sustainability, and pride in indigenous knowledge. Under her leadership, the brand has received national acclaim , including Indigenous Brand of the Year at the Ghana Beauty
Awards , recognizing her success in translating cultural heritage into impactfu l entrepreneurship. Lydia Forson stands at the intersection of creativit y, conscience, and enterprise; a trailblazer whose journey reflects cour age, discipline, and the power of using one’s voice with intention

For more details: https://events.la.psu.edu/event/afr- studies-global-virtual-forum-lydia-forson/

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