The African-American Association of Ghana (AAAG), in collaboration with the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), on Saturday held its Juneteenth festival in Ghana to commemorate the freedom of enslaved Africans in the United States of America.
The aim of the festival was to unite the African diaspora and Ghanaians in commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
The festival kicked off with a parade that began from the W.E.B. DuBois Centre, and continued through El-Wak, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA)head office to Christ the King Catholic Church and ended at the Ghana Tourist Information Centre .
It was then followed by other activities such as musical performances by various artists, a marketplace with local goods, open microphone sessions, and panel discussions on topics relevant to the diaspora in Ghana.
The Vice President of AAAG, Mr Maurice Cheetham, in an interview with journalists said that it had made significant contributions to national development through the building of schools and other social infrastructure by its members.
According to Mr Cheetham, the commemoration of Juneteenth was important because it presented an opportunity for AAAG to ensure that Ghanaians had a better understanding of their history and culture as it was not often talked about or discussed.
He supported the call for reparation from developed countries by African governments as it was a promise made by Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the U.S.A. to enslaved African Americans to ensure that they were compensated.
“I support reparations because it is a promise made by Abraham Lincoln that everyone of our ancestors that was enslaved will get 40 acres and mule as a form of compensation for the years of suffering as slaves, but till this date, we have not received that”, Mr Cheetham said.
For her part, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GTA, Mrs Maame Efua Houadjeto, in a speech read on her behalf by the Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr Bright Asempa Tsadidey, said that it was proud to support the Juneteenth festival through sponsorship of stage and sound equipment, media coverage, and the participation of GTA staff.
According to her, such a form of support was not symbolic but strategic and intentional, and one that was rooted in GTA’s belief that reconnecting with the diaspora was vital to Ghana’s sociocultural and economic transformation.
“Through initiatives such as the Year of Return, Beyond the Return, and our active participation in events like this, the Ghana Tourism Authority affirms its dedication to reconnection, cultural celebration, and collective progress,” Mrs Houadjeto said.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
