Black Star Rising

Black Star Polo, based in Ghana, is the world’s only all-Black water polo team, where access to aquatic spaces remains limited and unequal. For many young athletes, water represents risk rather than opportunity due to a lack of infrastructure, training, and resources in communities most affected by preventable drowning.

Founded in 2021 by Prince Kofi Asante Sefa-Boakye, an American-born Ghanaian player and coach, the team was created in response to systemic exclusion from aquatics. After years of international competition, Asante dedicated his work to water safety, education, and building pathways for youth long denied access to pools, coaching, and competition.

Despite challenging training conditions, adherence to discipline, resilience, and belief drive the athletes forward. In 2023, the team was denied visas to compete in Italy, revealing ongoing barriers faced by African athletes. They later represented Ghana at the One Nation Above Water tournament in South Africa, a Pan-African initiative addressing drowning and inequality.

Mariusz Śmiejek

Mariusz Śmiejek is a freelance documentary and portrait photographer specializing in the raw narrative of human and social conditions. Noted documentary work explores post conflict communities, refugee and asylum seekers, child slavery, street children, human trafficking, victimized women, dangerous livelihoods, corruption, and systemic abuse.