The Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States of America (USA), Ambassador Barfour Adjei Barwuah has explained the rationale behind the 2019 year of return by black Americans in the diaspora as a year to mark the 400th anniversary of black slaves in the United State.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2018 officially proclaimed 2019 as the Year of Return for all Diaspora descendants of Africans who were captured and transported into the Americas as slaves.
The proclamation was read at a ceremony at the United States National Press Club in Washington DC to formally launch a programme of activities marking the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to English North America in 1619.laves in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Thursday, Dr Barwuah emphasized even though the memories brings pain to Black Americans, it is a way to get them back to Africa.
“To some Black Americans, it is a spiritual journey and others want to see how Ghana really is while others want to experience the feel good factor in Ghana.”
Going further, Dr Barwuah stated there will be series of activities at different times to commemorate the anniversary both in Ghana and in the United States.
‘’There will be entertainment programs, talk from academicians to bring black Americans back home for them to learn and experience what the slave trade was all about. We are also working on getting Jay-Z to Ghana as well.”
The Ghana Tourism Authority under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture will be coordinating the year-long calendar of activities in partnership with the Office of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President, the Panafest Foundation and the Adinkra group.