The Ghana Tourism Authority has organized a wreath-laying ceremony in commemoration of the Emancipation Day Celebration.
The Emancipation Day celebration is a national and annual event observed to commemorate the resistance and liberation of African people in the Diaspora against enslavement and violation of their human rights.
The celebration, on the theme: “Our Heritage, Our Strength, with a sub-theme: ‘Leveraging Our Resilience; Black Lives Matter” is aimed at rekindling the frame of unity among black people everywhere and highlighting the interconnected nature of their struggles here on the mother continent and in Europe and America.
The programme which featured dignitaries from the Government of Ghana, Traditional Authorities and the Global African Family, was held at three different locations namely the Du Bois Centre, George Padmore Research Library on African Affairs and the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum.
A total of four different wreaths were laid at the three centres; one from the Government of Ghana, others from the Traditional Authorities, Global African Family, and Youths of Africa respectively.
The activities began from a symphony orchestra by a flute organized musical group at the Du Bois centre which set a cool, calm and collective atmosphere to the unveiling of the names of departed ancestors like the recent George Floyd and other participants at the African Diasporan Forum.
The second set of wreaths were laid with the perpetual flame lit by the Hon. Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Barbara Oteng Gyasi at the George Padmore Research Library on African Affairs.
The ceremony was climaxed with the third and final wreath-laying at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum where the Chairperson at the Panafest Foundation, Sutherland Addy showed among other things her appreciation to colleagues from the diaspora, for keeping the Emancipation drive since its inception.
Speaking at this special occasion, the Hon. Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Barbara Oteng Gyasi noted that the ceremony was a mark of togetherness and as such “we must not lose sight of the fact that we are one people irrespective of race, colour or tribe”.
Commenting on the commemoration of the Emancipation Day, Corporate Affairs Manager of GTA Rev. Jones Aruna Nelson in an interview with Happy FM’s Kwame Afrifa Mensah, stated that the wreath-laying ceremony for Africa’s freedom fighters has been recognized worldwide as the homeland of Africa in the diaspora and “people in the diaspora are happy about this initiative”.
Present at the wreath-laying ceremony were the Honourable Minister of Tourism, Barbara Oteng Gyasi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyeman and the Columbian Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Claudia Turbay Quintero, among other key personalities.
Emancipation Day more consciously serves to create and develop a unique sense of unity, cooperation, and understanding amongst Africans the world over as well as all people of conscience. Emancipation is not only freedom to the enslaved, but also the enslaver.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah
