Advertisement

National Museum of African American History inaugurated in Washington DC
Some of the African-Americans at the event

National Museum of African American History inaugurated in Washington DC

Some members of the African-American community in Ghana last Saturday gathered in Accra to witness a televised inauguration of a National Museum of Africa American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington DC in the United States.

The $514 million edifice, half of the cost of which was borne by the US government, is 400,000 square feet, with 60 per cent of the structure being underground.

Work on the facility began in 2003 after negro soldiers made an earlier proposal for its construction in 1916.

Present at the gathering in Accra to witness the historic event was the Ambassador of the US to Ghana, Mr Robert Jackson, 175 African Americans and a section of the Ghanaian public. 

On the other side of the coin, the event ground in Washington DC was graced by President Barack Obama and his wife, who are themselves African Americans, the former President George Walker Bush and his wife, and other top state officials. 

The NMAAHC

Inside the museum are 3,000 artifacts, 12 exhibition centres and a collection of 183 videos and African music, mostly of Ghanaian origin. Embossed on the wall of the museum is the inscription “I too, am American.”

The NMAAHC initiative is meant to celebrate the heroic exploits of the black race who were taken as slaves to America but whose labour provided a great anchor for the building of the US economy.

 It is also meant to tell the history of Africa to the rest of the world and to correct certain misconceptions about African Americans and the black race.

There was euphoria as the members of the African-American Association of Ghana (AAAG) joined their counterparts in the US through the televised medium to sing the liberation song and the negro national anthem, amid a splendid display of African culture. 

‘African Americans key’

In his address, President Obama eulogised the black race, noting that the US owed its economic prowess to the rich human resource that the African Americans offered through the era of the slave trade to the current era.

“The American economy now stands on its feet partly as a result of people who were brought to America as slaves but who now lift others up,” he added.

Mr Obama observed that the NMAAHC would be a constant reminder to the US and the rest of the world that there ought to be a commitment to erase all traces of slavery and segregation, adding that it was the surest way to promoting world peace.

Ambassador Jackson, for his part, said the initiative to construct the edifice would not only immortalise the contribution of great Americans of African descent to the growth of the US economy, but would also serve as a reminder to the government to satisfy the needs of the millions of African Americans who were still down the social ladder.

Black interest

The President of AAAG, Ms Brenda Joyce, urged African-Americans and Ghanaians in the diaspora to return to their home countries to support the development agenda, since that was the best way to make their presence felt.

Connect With Us : 0242202447 | 0551484843 | 0266361755 | 059 199 7513 |