The United States of America’s House of Representatives Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has praised Ghana for declaring 2019 as ‘Year of Return’.
Leading a thirteen member Congressional black caucus to address the country’s legislators on Wednesday, July 31, she said, “I’m particularly honoured to be the first US Speaker to address the Ghanaian Parliament.”
“Our delegation is deeply moved to be here. As you know, Today marks the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans to be sent to Jamestown, Virginia in the United States from Africa.”
She commended President Akufo-Addo for the beautiful gesture to declare the ‘Year of Return’ campaign to turn the memory of such a horrible event in the history of the world.
According to Pelosi, “the ‘Year of Return’ will fondly be remembered for the horrors and terrible atrocities.”
She noted that the Congressional black caucus has worked ongoing to advance progress between Ghana and the United States.
Pelosi and her team have already visited the Elmina and Cape Coast castles from where African slaves, at a rate of 30,000 a year, began their one-way journey into servitude in America as part of the Year of Return activities.
“There are other sites but these two is where the journey of African American experience began and that makes them heritage sites for the history of the United States of America.”
“Being here has been a transformative experience for all of us. Our souls have been touched by what we saw there,” she disclosed.
She also lauded Ghana for its role in American civil rights movement.
“Indeed Ghana played a pivotal role in America’s civil rights movement, outstanding as a spiritual symbol and a source of great hope in the fight against discrimination and segregation,” she added.
