In a move to strengthen ties between Ghana and the United States, Ghana’s Ambassador to the U.S., Hajia Alima Mahama, among other notable contributors, launched Ghana Week D.C. in the nation’s capital to foster both economic and cultural connections between the country and the African diaspora.
“The whole initiative was to link up, promote tourism, build bridges and have more opportunities to interact with African American communities,” Mahama told The Informer, adding the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo wants their mission to the U.S. to be intentional beyond an initiative and one week. ”This week will prepare us to continue with the interaction and the relationship so that [African Americans] can see Ghana as home.”
The District is the “federal capital” and the home of the international community, another reason Mahama said she chose to launch Ghana Week in D.C.
In the global city are the homes of restaurants that have signed up to showcase their African fare for African Restaurant Week, which also kicked off alongside Ghana Week DC. Among the restaurants participating from Oct. 7-12 is The Continent DC, which offers an upscale Nigerian dining experience, and diners can try Senegalese fare at Koite Grill. A full list of more restaurants can be found at eventsdc.com.
In addition, Ghana’s exhibition will include the “Capital City Africa Cup,” a momentous soccer match between D.C. United and 24-time Ghanaian league champions Asante Kotoko, scheduled for Oct. 12 at Audi Field.
“This is not just a friendly competition but a cultural exchange through sports, and we are building together, not only the football but the nations of Ghana and the United States, and also we are bridging the gap,” Mark Addo, vice president of the Ghana Football Association said during the official launch of Ghana Week.
One pioneer who helped usher in support for the Ghana D.C. Week initiative is Paxton Baker, a managing partner of LIQUID SOUL-DC, a cultural-driven marketing firm.
He told The Informer helping with this initiative was simple.
“African has been clearly inside of my DNA for my whole life,” Baker said. “The Capital City Africa Cup was an outgrowth of ideation of travel back and forth between the United States and Ghana and wanting to do something meaningful here in Washington, D.C., by way of bringing African culture in a big way into the city.”
Not only will this weeklong initiative—which plans to expand in more intentional ways—offer a cultural connection, but Baker, a businessman and chairman of the Washington Nationals Founding Partners Group, a minority ownership coalition that provides advisory services to sports teams, hopes it will strengthen Blacks’ buying power globally.
He also said that traveling and investing in minority businesses in Ghana is easy and enjoyable.
“When you start to make investments there, you become much more interested in the continent, you become more interested in what’s going on there,” Baker explained.