As part of the ongoing Panafest and Emancipation Day 2025 celebrations, a solemn wreath-laying ceremony was held in Accra to honour the legacy of iconic Pan-African leaders and amplify urgent calls for reparative justice across Africa and the diaspora.
Themed “Let Us Speak of Reparative Justice, Pan-African Artistic Activism”, the commemorative event paid tribute to three towering figures of the Pan-African struggle:
Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois, George Padmore, and Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Wreaths were laid at their respective memorial sites, the Du Bois Centre, the George Padmore Library, and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
The ceremony was jointly organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the Ghana Tourism Authority, the Panafest Foundation, and Black Star Experience, drawing dignitaries, creatives, and Pan-Africanists from across the world.
Delivering a passionate address, Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Dzifa Gomashie, issued a renewed and resolute call for global powers to confront their colonial pasts and provide meaningful restitution.
“We are reclaiming our dignity and our heritage. What you took from us, we are demanding it back,”
the Minister declared, emphasizing that the time has come for reparative action, not just remembrance.
She urged the international community to recognize the historical injustices of slavery and colonisation and called for comprehensive responses through policy, education, and reparatory frameworks.
Organisers described the wreath-laying not as a mere ritual, but as a powerful expression of collective memory, resistance, and the will to heal.
The emphasis on reparative justice, they noted, aligns with a broader movement gaining traction across Africa and the diaspora.
Panafest 2025, which runs from July 17 to August 2, continues to attract both local and international participants with a compelling lineup of performances, academic forums, art exhibitions, and heritage site tours all anchored in themes of healing, reconnection, and resistance.
Source: Myxyzonline.com
