With rhythm, remembrance and a rallying call to justice, Ghana once again took centre stage in the global Pan-African movement during the 2025 edition of PANAFEST and Emancipation Day commemorations. Against the backdrop of sacred grounds like the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre, George Padmore Library, and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the annual wreath-laying ceremony unfolded as a soul-stirring blend of tribute, activism and hope.
Under the powerful theme, “Let Us Speak of Reparative Justice and Pan-African Artistic Activism,” this year’s celebrations transcended ceremony to deliver a call to action. Diaspora leaders, African creatives, ambassadors, government officials and community elders stood shoulder to shoulder to honour trailblazers of Pan-Africanism while confronting contemporary challenges rooted in historic injustices.
Led by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, and the Office of Diaspora Affairs, the event was both solemn and galvanising — a symbolic homecoming for people of African descent from around the world.
At the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Maame Efua Houadjeto, CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, opened the ceremony with a stirring affirmation:
“As we lay wreaths at the feet of giants, we do not merely honour their memory; we affirm our commitment to the ideals they left behind. This moment is not ceremonial alone. It is spiritual, political, cultural, and deeply personal.”
She challenged all gathered to move from symbolism to action, adding,
“Reparative justice demands more than solidarity. It requires policy, investment, and unity.”
That message was echoed by Kofi Okyere Darko, Director of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President, who underscored Ghana’s place as a spiritual and political home for the African diaspora:
“Whether you trace your roots to Accra or Alabama, to Kumasi or Kingston, Ghana sees you and Ghana stands with you.”
He framed the gathering not as a nostalgic ritual, but a “strategic mandate for the future” grounded in dignity and remembrance.
International solidarity was poignantly captured in the remarks of H.E. Mariana Gonçalves Madeira, Brazil’s Ambassador to Ghana. Acknowledging Brazil’s deep African roots, she noted:
“Brazil is home to the largest African descendant population outside the continent. Our music, food, faith and spirit are shaped by this powerful legacy.”
She introduced Brazil’s Samba Zumbi Collective, a youth-driven movement that uses art to promote Afro-Brazilian identity — symbolising living connections between Africa and its diaspora. “PANAFEST is not only a festival, but a bridge across the ocean, across histories,” she said.
In her keynote address, Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, called for a renewed cultural consciousness and a bolder embrace of African identity:
“We don’t celebrate emancipation because it’s a ritual. We do so to feel the pain of separation; and to fight for what is ours.”
Drawing on the legacy of Pan-African greats like W.E.B. Du Bois and Kwame Nkrumah, she challenged Africans to rise above colonial legacies and internalised shame.
“When you look down on your culture, your food, your religion, you have chosen the other over yourself,” she said.
She also announced the upcoming AfroGhastro Culinary Festival, to be held on September 15, under the Black Star Experience initiative — a celebration of African cuisine as a vehicle for diplomacy and cultural affirmation.
“Food is a bridge. When it tastes right, love flows naturally.”
In a deeply reflective tribute, Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey, Deputy CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, brought the proceedings to a close with a solemn vow:
“We do more than lay wreaths. We lay down a code of conscience, of unity and of action.”
Paying homage to Prof. Efua Sutherland, the visionary behind PANAFEST, he reminded the audience that reparative justice must be more than a slogan:
“It is a commitment to confront uncomfortable truths, to heal generational wounds, and to shape a future guided by equity, memory and hope.”
Additional impassioned appeals came from Dr. Collins Rawlings Nunyonameh, Executive Director of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, who declared,
“We must not rest until Africa is completely free.”
The day’s events were brought to life through vibrant cultural expressions, including moving performances by the National Dance Ensemble, traditional musicians, and a powerful poetic recital by Barbados’ Poet Laureate, Esther Phillips.
The wreath-laying ceremonies marked a cornerstone of the 2025 PANAFEST and Emancipation Week calendar, which began in northern Ghana and continues through the Greater Accra and Central Regions. The series of events reaffirm Ghana’s role as a global beacon of Pan-African thought, spiritual healing and cultural diplomacy.
