Ghana Celebrates Emancipation Day with Wreath-Laying Ceremony

Accra, Ghana – Ghana marked its Emancipation Day celebrations with a wreath-laying ceremony yesterday, honoring individuals who played key roles in the abolition of the slave trade in British colonies. The event, which took place at the W. E. B Dubois Centre, the George Padmore Library, and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, was attended by government officials, traditional rulers, and members of the diaspora.

The ceremony, which forms part of the activities to commemorate this year’s Emancipation Day celebrations, was characterized by the lighting of a perpetual flame by the Minister of Tourism, Art and Culture, Mr Andrew Egyapa Mercer. The event also featured a tribute to the ancestors of the Emancipation Day by kids in tourism, tape-cutting of an art gallery of the legacy of Dr Efua Sutherland, and traditional dance performances by the Ghana Dance Company.

Celebrated annually, the Emancipation Day marks the abolition of slavery in the British Colonies in 1834, and its annual observance was introduced in Ghana in 1998. This year’s celebration, which started on Monday and will end on August 1, is under the theme “Unity and Resilience; Building Stronger Communities for a Brighter Future.”

In his keynote address, Mr Mercer emphasized the government’s commitment to fostering collaboration between the global African family through initiatives such as “Beyond the Return” and “The Year of Return.” He urged the citizenry and those from the diaspora to reaffirm their commitment to building a brighter future through resilience and unity.

The Paramount Chief of Akwamu Traditional Area, Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, also spoke at the event, emphasizing the importance of resilience in building a global African community. He urged the citizenry and those in the diaspora to use the Emancipation Day as a tool to rekindle lost heritage of the African continent.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GTA, Mr Akwasi Agyeman, underscored the need for Africans, including Ghanaians, to emancipate themselves from mental slavery, considering the rise of youth migration on the African continent. Solidarity messages were also delivered by the Director, Diaspora Affairs, Office of the President, Mr Akwasi Awua Ababio, Chairperson of the International Board of Trustees, PANAFEST Foundation, Professor Esi Sutherland-Addy, and the High Commissioner of Barbados to Ghana, Mrs Juliette Babb-Riley.

The Emancipation Day celebrations are a significant event in Ghana, marking the country’s commitment to promoting unity, resilience, and cultural heritage among its citizens and the global African family.