During the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) gathering in New York City, many notable events throughout the city highlighted Africa’s advancement alongside other timely topics. One particularly sought-after event, the Africa-America Institute (AAI) gala on Sept. 24, attended by dignitaries from different parts of Africa and the United States, offered a clear message of global unity, healing and repair.
One notable dignitary in attendance was Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, who focused on connecting the Black diaspora in the United States to Ghana.
“[In an effort] to build a bridge between us on the continent and you, the Black people in the African diaspora of the Americas, we decided that we would try to make a symbolic gesture,” he said, touting the success of the Year of Return program, an African diaspora program which saw nearly one-million foreign visitors to the country in 2019.
The president noted that since the program’s launch, “it’s been a regular feature of Ghanaian life, and at Christmas, we have this large entrance of people from [the U.S.] from the Caribbean and increasingly also from Latin America.”
During his speech, he said there were three reasons he launched the program: to help connect Black Americans back to their home so they could learn where they come from. Secondly, he said: “For us to make a statement that we would never allow such indignities [like slavery] to be perpetrated on Black people ever again.” Thirdly, he said it is important for people across the African diaspora to work together to develop the continent and in America, work to “regain our dignity and our place in the world.”
The Year of Return, as President Akufo-Addo noted, has sparked significant interest from the African diaspora, as they have expanded the one-year program to a 10-year strategic plan dubbed Beyond the Return. This program bears the same goal as the first.
Building on that success, the Atlantic Council reports, “the United States and the Caribbean are strengthening economic and cultural ties with African communities through business, sports, art, movies, politics, religion, philanthropy and more.”
The Atlantic Council is a nonpartisan organization that works with U.S. leaders and world leaders to provide solutions to global challenges.
The AAI gala not only attracted the attention of world leaders but also Black business leaders who maintain the institute’s success in connecting the global Black community and have a shared return on investment.
“The Africa-America Institute has such a rich legacy of what it’s achieved, and it’s been driven by the diaspora’s desire to connect with the continent and vice versa, and so to be here at a gala that recognizes that shared connection and the mutual benefit that is accrued to global Africa, it’s a powerful gathering,” Kendra L. Gaither, the president of the U.S.-Africa Business Center told the Washington Informer.
Combating Systemic Racism
Also in attendance was the African Union ambassador to the United States, Hilda Suka-Mafudze, who highlighted the institute’s work in highlighting the stories and work of Africans across the diaspora.
She wrote a congratulatory note to AAI, commending them on their African and American efforts, saying: “As the African Union, we are committed to supporting AAI’s mission to remedy the historical erasure of Africa’s pre-colonial past and the contributions of Africa and its diaspora.”
In regards to colonialism, the tragic killing of George Floyd at the hands of police served as a catalyst for global Black solidarity in the face of entrenched systemic racism. From across the globe, Black people in London demanded just treatment by the United Kingdom government, as did Blacks in the United States.
The social change prompted many African governments, such as South Africa, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana and more, to respond and extend a hand to its diaspora to welcome them home to safety.
While celebrating the successful connections of the African diaspora at the gala, WNBA player Chiney Ogwumike emphasized the power of unity and collective action, urging everyone to contribute to a shared vision of progress.
“Each of us have an important role to play, so as we leave here tonight, let’s carry forward that energy, that vision, that commitment to bridge our past with the future we are building together,” said Ogwumike, a member of Biden’s presidential African diaspora council.
Akufo-Addo concluded his speech by delivering a unifying message to continue to bring Black people across the globe back to the continent, quoting the lyrics from the song “African” by the late Reggae singer-songwriter Peter Tosh.
“Don’t care where you come from, as long as you’re a Black man, You’re an African,” Akufo-Addo said to an applauding crowd.