Such an interaction, the Vice-President said, would not only be mutually beneficial but also help in the achievement of their collective aspirations.

Dr Bawumia made the call yesterday when the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), Mr Derrick Johnson, and his team called on him at the Jubilee House in Accra.

Africa and the Diaspora

On the need for better relations between Africans in the Diaspora and those living on the continent, Dr Bawumia stressed the importance of reconnecting Africans in the Diaspora to those on the African continent to tap into the rich human resource base to ensure the advancement and holistic development of Africa and the Diaspora in general.

He said the international image of the Black man was shaped by activities in both the Diaspora and on the African continent, pointing out that it would be in the collective interest of both sides to work together.

Commendation

He commended the NAACP for its century-long fight for the rights of African Americans, as well as the creation of opportunities to advance their cause, and said the success of the “Year of Return, Ghana 2019” project would not only help re-establish lost connections to the African continent but also boost tourism and open up business opportunities.

Dr Bawumia, therefore, commended the government for facilitating the project.

Year of Return, Ghana 2019

The project is a major landmark, spiritual and birthright journey to mark 400 years of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in Jamestown, Virginia, USA, to be celebrated both in Ghana and in the USA.

The year-long event was launched in August this year, with a number of activities lined up over the next one year, including a “Bra Fie Concert”, which is to be hosted by Damian Marley, a son of Bob Marley; a Back to Africa Festival to mark Black History Month, as well as a homecoming and investment summit.

Mr Johnson will also hold discussions with officials of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts and the Diaspora Affairs Office on ways to facilitate the reconnection of Diasporans to their roots in Ghana.

Background

The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), which is the oldest and largest civil rights organisation in the United States of America (USA), was formed in 1909 by a group, including W.E.B. Du Bois, Mary White Ovington and Moorfield Storey, as a bi-racial endeavour to advance justice for African Americans.

The association continues to play a leading role in the fight to ensure that the rights of African Americans and other races are respected.

Mr Johnson, who was accompanied by Eris Sims, the Chief of Staff; Kiara Ghartey Ellozy, Communications Consultant; Darrell Miller, Attorney; Annabelle Mckenzie, Year of Return Secretariat; Diallo Sumbry, CEO, Adinkra Group; Kwame Ansong, CEO, Sunseekers Tours; Akwasi Agyeman, CEO, Ghana Tourism Authority, and Prince Essah, Ghana Tourism Authority, is in Ghana to review preparations for the ‘Year of Return, Ghana 2019’ project.