The Power of a Story

C O M M U N I T Y VO I C E S

THE POWER OF A STORY

By Fatima La’Juan Muse

Anansi the spider is a folktale character originating from the Ashanti people of Ghana. Often described as a mischievous trickster, Anansi is far more resilient and wise than cunning. Andre Henderson was a young boy attending Neil Armstrong Elementary school, in Hazelwood Missouri, when an African storyteller regaled his class with tales of Anansi. It was the spiders’ wisdom, intellect and ability to prevail against the odds that appealed to Henderson.

Much like the fabled African hero, Henderson has overcome insurmountable obstacles. On a whim he took an art class as an elective in high school and realized he had a natural talent for drawing. Shortly after graduation while working in a factory his left hand was crushed. “It seemed like everything else in my life, you lose things as you get older.” Along with losing the hope of becoming an artist, Andre found himself homeless for years after having his identity stolen. “When you have nothing, you think there’s nothing they can take from you. Boy was I wrong. They can take so much more.”

The road to becoming the man he is today involved being trafficked across the country in a debt scam, losing loved ones, bearing witness to sexual abuse, and physical and emotional pain. However, much like Anansi, Henderson found his way out of these dark and dangerous situations. The little boy in him remembered the spider and used that memory to push himself forward. He eventually enlisted in the army where military physical therapy rejuvenated his hand. He could finally draw again. Through the military, he was able to pay for college and just completed his final semester as a graphic design major.

For his final project at Fontbonne University, Henderson found it only fitting that he pay homage to the spider who gave him strength in the face of so much adversity. When asked what Anansi meant to him, Henderson replied, “He represents the opposite of everything said about black folk. The things they said we weren’t, he is.” This sentiment perfectly describes Henderson as well.

Andre Henderson, Anansi (photo credit: Fatima La’Juan Muse)

www.fontbonne.edu/academics/departments/ fine_arts_departments/fine_arts_gallery

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