By Hafsa Obeng / Emelia Nkrumah
Accra, June 22, GNA – The African American Association of Ghana (AAAG), in partnership with the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), has marked the Juneteenth festival in Ghana.
The celebration started with a parade from the Du Bois Centre through the Lands Commission to the 37 Military Hospital then through to Jubilee House and ended at the Accra Tourist Information Centre (ATIC).
Mr Diallo Sumbri, President of AAAG, said Juneteenth was important because it signified the continual resistance of Africans to slavery, which began in Africa and continued to America.
He said, “Africans didn’t just opt to be slaves, but fought here and there in the prisons while some jumped over the ship and chose death by sea instead of being shackled, so Juneteenth is a continuation of that struggle for freedom.”
He said AAAG was a vibrant community of African-Americans living in Ghana, united by a shared mission to promote cultural, social, spiritual and economic well-being while reintegrating into the Ghanaian society.
“The Association strives to facilitate the cultural, social, educational and economic integration of African Americans and other people of African descent returning from the diaspora into Ghanaian society.”
Mr Mark Okraku Mantey, Deputy Minister of Tourism Art and Culture, said it was important for government to partner diasporans and give them due recognition as they had expertise, which could be leveraged on through collaborating to bring value to the country as well as the continent.
He said, “It is important to remember a day like this again, to reinforce the relationship with the six regions of Africa because we know what is convenient for us as Africans.”
Mr Mantey added that the government was working very hard to improve on the residency processes to ease the stay for more diaspora’s in the country.
Mr Akwasi Agyemang, Chief Executive Officer, GTA, said although we were free, there was the need to free our mind and thought from slavery.
He, therefore, called for the mental emancipation of black people across the world, adding that it would lead to a more positive view of the continent.
Ms Nadia Adongo-Fynn, Deputy Director for Diaspora Affairs, noted that the support and partnership of the AAAG with her outfit indicated the commitment of the government to the diaspora in the spirit of the ‘Year of Return’.
Juneteenth is an annual celebration of the liberation of over 250,000 slaves in Gavelston, Texas, on June 19, 1865.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
GNA