By Hafsa Obeng
Accra, July 27, GNA – Professor Esi Sutherland-Addy, Chairperson, PANAFEST Foundation, has called for sustained efforts to preserve the memory of Africans affected by slavery and advance the ideals of justice, unity and Pan-Africanism.
She said remembering the struggles of enslaved Africans was necessary to inspire continued action towards freedom and dignity for people of African descent.
Prof. Sutherland-Addy made the call at the 2026 Emancipation Day commemoration in Accra on the theme: “Reconnecting Roots, Celebrating Freedom, Experience Ghana.”
“So let us honour those who have gone before us because their wish was not simply to be famous or remembered as individuals. Their wish was that we would carry on the struggle they started, and that is how we will truly honour them,” she said.
Prof. Sutherland-Addy said remembrance remained essential in sustaining the commitment to addressing historical injustices.
“Just as Christians commemorate the death of Jesus Christ repeatedly because remembrance reinforced faith and purpose, there is every need for us to continue to address these issues,” she said.
Prof. Sutherland-Addy said the theme of the celebration placed a responsibility on Ghana to continue leading efforts to reconnect Africa with people of African descent across the world.
She acknowledged Ghana’s efforts through initiatives such as PANAFEST, the Year of Return and Beyond the Return in promoting awareness of the transatlantic slave trade, but said those achievements must translate into meaningful action.
“The President has set an agenda that we are all obliged to follow. It is not a matter that requires talking; it is a matter that requires doing,” she stated.
Prof. Sutherland-Addy urged Ghanaians to confront the history of slavery rather than avoid discussions about it, saying understanding the past was important to appreciating the significance of emancipation.
She called on traditional authorities to develop appropriate traditional rites to help communities acknowledge and symbolically address the legacy of slavery.
Prof. Sutherland-Addy said the impact of enslavement affected not only Africans taken across the Atlantic but also families and communities that remained on the continent.
She noted that aspects of Ghana’s traditional architecture, settlement patterns and cultural practices continued to reflect the insecurity and trauma associated with the slave trade.
Prof. Sutherland-Addy expressed concern that Ghana’s educational system had not adequately integrated the history of slavery and the African diaspora into school curricula.
“We have not done enough to tell the story to our children in school. This indifference must be changed into action,” she said.
Prof. Sutherland-Addy called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, ministries and organisations involved in emancipation, heritage preservation and diaspora engagement.
She urged stakeholders to work together towards meaningful reparatory justice, saying Ghana’s leadership in reconnecting Africa with its diaspora came with a responsibility to lead by example.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Hafsa Obeng