The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Ms Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called for renewed efforts toward reparative justice and Pan-African solidarity.
She highlighted the urgent need to address the historical and enduring impacts of slavery, colonialism, and systemic injustice faced by African peoples across the globe.
She made this call during a wreath-laying ceremony in commemoration of W.E.B. Du Bois, George Padmore, and Dr Kwame Nkrumah, as part of the 2025 Panafest and Emancipation Day celebrations.
This year’s Pan-African Emancipation Week, under the theme: ‘Let Us Speak of Reparative Justice: African Artistic Activism,” seeks to put the spotlight on the role of art in advancing the call for justice and historical redress.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ms Gomashie emphasised that honouring these iconic figures should go beyond symbolic gestures and serve as a rallying point for addressing the historical injustices of slavery and colonialism, invoking the legacy of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and Pan-African icons such as George Padmore and W.E.B. Du Bois.
She urged African nations and the diaspora to unite in advocating reparations and strengthening cultural and political ties in pursuit of global Black empowerment.
“Emancipation did not begin with speeches in foreign capitals, nor will it end with symbolic gestures. It began with a conviction that we must stand on our own feet and will be completed only when every African everywhere is truly free,” the Minister stated.
Referencing Professor Esi Sutherland-Addy, Ms Gomashie underscored the moral obligation of former colonial powers to acknowledge past wrongs and issue formal apologies.
“Our ancestors were maltreated. Some were killed because they wanted Africa to be liberated,” she said.
“George Padmore, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Dr Kwame Nkrumah laid down their lives for you and me.”
In a moving tribute to the African diaspora, the minister acknowledged the pain of disconnection but reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to unity and healing.
“You were told this continent forgot you. But Kwame Nkrumah never forgot you. And we are here today because we have not forgotten you,” she added.
The event brought together key figures from Ghana’s cultural and governmental institutions, including the Deputy Minister of Tourism, the CEO and Deputy CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional leaders, and representatives from the diaspora.
The Director of the George Padmore Research Library on African Affairs, Simon Teye, recalled the library’s founding in 1961 by Dr Nkrumah and its expansion in 1992 under former President Jerry John Rawlings, the same year George Padmore’s ashes were brought to their final resting place at the site.
He urged the Diasporas to carry forward the mission of Pan-Africanism not only in words but through bold actions that dismantle systemic inequality and restore African dignity.
“Let this moment deepen our sense of responsibility,” the Minister emphasised, adding that, “The struggle for freedom is not behind us. It lives within us every day.”
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