For the first time, the festival shifted its venue to Osu, one of Accra’s oldest neighborhoods dating back to the early 19th century. Osu, a vital part of the city’s commercial and cultural landscape, boasts a rich history rooted in the settlement of Ga fishermen in the late 18th century. The iconic Osu Castle, built by the Danish in the 17th century, stands as a testament to the community’s historical significance.

The festival’s new perimeter at the Black Star Square in Osu featured open-air mural exhibitions by leading Ghanaian and international artists. The artwork drew inspiration from the rebellion of enslaved Afro-Brazilians in 1835 Salvador Bahia and their triumphant return to present-day Ghana, Togo, and Nigeria. The narrative unfolded as a musical theatre piece titled “MEMORY MOVEMENT FREEDOM,” performed by community-based performance groups, dance troupes, and brass bands.

Highlights of the festival included live murals by the Ghanaian art collective AFUABE, detailing the Gold Coast’s resistance against colonial invasions. The program encompassed performance art, graffiti, music stages featuring 120 musicians and bands, LABS, salons, design, photography, processions, street theater, and the SHIKA SHIKA Art Fair, showcasing independent artists at the Christianborg Castle.

Chale Wote Street Art Festival also incorporated the Chale Wote Film LABS and knowledge-sharing salons, offering digital art and photography training sessions. The festival provided an opportunity for visitors to book walking tours exploring historical sites and buildings within the Osu community.

The globally acclaimed Highlife Café made its debut at the Black Star Square, complemented by the Accra Cookout, serving the city’s favorite dishes and unique delicacies. Supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Ghana Tourism Authority, and other partners, the Chale Wote Street Art Festival at the Black Star Square and Christianborg Castle became an unforgettable multi-disciplinary art experience, bringing together the industry’s biggest acts and fostering a deeper connection to independent art production in Africa.

Ghana Tourism Authority and the Beyond the Return Secretariat, together with the PANAFEST Foundation will hold a transformative event that aims to bridge the gap between Africans and the global African diaspora through music and film. ‘Return Conversations: Role of Film and Music in Uniting Global Africans’ is scheduled to take place at the Accra International Conference Centre on July 25, 2023 at 10am. This event focus will be on the unifying potential of film and music in telling our stories.

A Forum for Unity and Cultural Exchange

The upcoming event promises a series of thought-provoking panel discussions, where participants will delve into the profound impact of film and music as powerful channels for fostering unity, understanding, and cultural exchange among Global Africans. Experts hailing from the Ghanaian and international film and music industries will take center stage to share their valuable insights and experiences on how these artistic mediums can serve as catalysts for connection, empowerment, and mutual appreciation.

Distinguished Voices in Film and Music

‘Return Conversations’ will include an impressive lineup of speakers, each a luminary in their respective fields:

• Jason Carter: The CEO of ONE Music Festival, Jason Carter has been at the forefront of promoting music as a universal language transcending geographical boundaries.
• Jasmine Young: As the Director of Warner Music and the Blavatnik Center for Music Business, Jasmine Young brings a wealth of expertise on the global influence of African musical talent.
• Trigmatic: A celebrated Ghanaian musician whose artistry has resonated with audiences worldwide, Trigmatic embodies the universal power of music to transcend cultural barriers.
• Rocky Dawuni: A multiple Grammy-nominated and critically acclaimed Ghanaian musician, Rocky Dawuni’s work has been an instrumental force in uniting people through the use of his storytelling and advocacy through his music and philanthropic work.
• PY Addo-Boateng: With a diverse background encompassing music executive roles, film production, acting, and event production, PY Addo-Boateng’s contributions will provide multifaceted perspectives on creative industries.
• Robert Hardy: A seasoned film and TV director, film producer, and screenwriter, Robert Hardy’s profound contributions to cinema enrich the discussions on filmmaking.
• Juliet Ibrahim: Embodying versatility as an author, actor and film producer in Ghana and Nigeria, Juliet Ibrahim will bring a unique perspective to the event.
• Ama K. Abebrese: As an accomplished actress, TV presenter, and producer, Ama K. Abebrese’s presence adds depth to the discussions on the arts and entertainment.
• Socrate Safo: As a renowned filmmaker and the Director for Creative Arts at the National Commission on Culture, Socrate Safo’s expertise offers valuable insights on the interplay of film and culture.
• AJ Johnson: An actress, TV producer, life coach, and philanthropist, AJ Johnson brings passion for the arts and community impact to the forefront. Since her first trip to Ghana in 2019, she has had a strong passion for bridging the gap between the Diaspora and West Africa.

This event will be an enriching experience that celebrates the unity and interconnectedness of Global Africans. This event is free with limited tickets available on Eventbrite. Don’t miss this event that will strengthen connections, build for the future and celebrate the richness of our diversity in film and music.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/return-conversations-role-of-film-music-in-uniting-global-africans-tickets-680936067107

Story by Ivy Prosper

Washington DC’s professional football club (soccer), DC United has partnered with Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to launch the Capital City Africa Cup where each year one of Ghana’s Premier League football team winners will play DC United.  The announcement was made during the Ghana Business and Investment Summit which took place at the Ghana Embassy in DC on 19th September 2022. 

Washington DC is one of the key markets when it comes to promoting travel and tourism to Ghana.  With a vibrant Ghanaian and African community and a large population of African Americans who have interests in visiting the continent of Africa, this collaboration through sports is one that GTA, GFA and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture look forward to because it brings the communities together while promoting the welcoming spirit of Ghana.

“This opportunity is a great one. It’s another level of engagement in terms of collaborating and enhancing the whole alliance between tourism [and sports],” said Mark Addo, Vice President of GFA.  He spoke on how they have shifted to work on the future of football through young people. “We’ve now been focusing on youth development by promoting youth football,” he said. This has been a passion in Ghana for many years but lacked support through official structures and monetary support.  He said that with more sponsorship they’ve been able to make focusing on youth a reality. “We look forward to you coming to Ghana, whether it’s for pleasure or investment. You can take the time to visit our stadiums and watch our teams.”

In the United States, soccer is one of the most popular sports played by young people.  In 2020 it was estimated that 17.8 million Americans played soccer.  “As many of you all know, the power of soccer is immense. It brings people together, and especially wherever you find a ball you find young people.” said Shanell Mosely, Director of Community Relations for DC United.  “We are honoured to be presenting you with our DC United jerseys. We look forward to this long relationship ahead.”  She presented the home jersey for DC United to Mark Addo. He also presented a jersey from Ghana’s Black Stars for her. “Presenting to you this, the new Black Star jersey that we’ll be using in the World Cup,” he said.

The DMV area, which includes Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia, has one of the most affluent and educated metropolitan areas in the United States. With some of the highly regarded Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the area; Howard University and Bowie University, the area also has one of the wealthiest black communities in America.

Paxton Baker, CEO PKB Enterprises, said the idea behind launching the Capital City Africa Cup is to “establish the city of Washington DC as the anchor to showcase talent coming out of Africa.”  He explained that the first match will be in March 2023 and will be an annual event taking place at Audi Field in Washington DC.  On top of that he said they have dubbed it “Ghana Week” in Washington DC which will include the arts, food fairs and culture.

In attendance was the Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture, Hon. Ibrahim Awal, the CEOs of GTA and GIPC, Akwasi Agyeman and Yofi Grant respectively.

By: Ivy Prosper

Howard University in Washington DC, has officially declared the 2022-2023 school year, the ‘Year of Ghana’. Dr. Anthony K. Wutoh, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Howard University made the announcement as part of an event that welcomed the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Awal, the CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyeman, the CEO of the Ghana Investment Promotion Center, Yoofi Grant and Annabelle McKenzie the Director for the Beyond the Return Secretariat.

The event  featured a panel discussion, ‘Return Conversations’ which aligns with the Beyond the Return pillar, ‘diaspora pathways to Ghana’ because it builds on the idea of building bridges with the African diaspora.  It highlighted the experience of moving or travelling to Ghana and how the diaspora community can connect  with the continent of Africa.  The panel was moderated by Annabelle McKenzie and included the  CEO of GTA, Akwasi Agyeman, Sustainability Executive, Erica Daniel, and Entrepreneur, Paxton Baker.

Dr. Wutoh recently travelled to Ghana with the president of Howard University, Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick.  He spoke about the warm welcome they received and why it was important for Howard University to foster and enhance it’s

relationship with Ghana. “We want to strengthen our relationships, our partnerships with Ghana. We want to create more opportunities for our students to study abroad and to engage in a host of activities,” he said. “We have a large student and alumni population who often choose to study abroad in Ghana.”  He said they were pleased to host the ‘Return Conversations’ at Howard.

Hon. Awal expressed the importance of youth in helping support Ghana’s efforts on the next stage of economic independence.  “We want you to be ambassadors of the socio and economic transformation of Ghana and Africa. We are ready and waiting to support you,” he said. “The black race, the black continent is rich with culture, heritage and energy.”

The panel discussion was engaging and encouraged students with a Q&A session that allowed them to have conversations on bridging the gap and sharing their hopes and aspirations when it comes to connecting with the continent. One student spoke on why it meant so much to have the opportunity to hear the panel and learn that Ghana has opened its doors to the diaspora. “Hearing you say that it’s ok to come home, that means so much more to me and it’s a message that is more than I needed to hear,” said one student during the Q&A.

Akwasi Agyeman said he was excited about this being the year of Ghana. “It means there will be a lot of exciting activities and an opportunity to showcase what Ghana has,” he said.

By: Ivy Prosper

The shining ‘Black Star’ of Africa is ready for you to come and celebrate your December in Ghana. Each year the holiday celebrations in Ghana keep getting bigger and attracting people from around the world. Expectations are high for this year as global tourism continues to increase. “Today as we launch ‘December in GH’ 2022, we take pride in seeing Ghana continue to be the leading country of choice for travel during the holiday season in West Africa,” said the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal. “Tourism has become one of the most important sectors in Ghana’s economy and shows no sign of slowing down. We anticipate that ‘December in GH’ for 2022 will become record-breaking as more travellers take the journey to Ghana,” he said at the official launch event which took place at La Palm Royal Beach Resort on 4th August 2022.

‘December in GH’ was originally launched in 2019, during the Year of Return as a tourism activation and has since become an important part of marketing events that attract thousands to visit Ghana for the holiday season into the new year. “‘December in GH’ is one of the biggest activations in our tourism sector and one that touches on the three pillars of our ministry; tourism, arts and culture,” said Akwasi Agyeman, CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA). “Many of the events are also central to the pillars of the ‘Beyond the Return’ initiative as we continue to engage with the historical diaspora community….Events in December have become flagships that attract people from around the world who plan their vacation in Ghana around event’s dates.” Despite the pandemic the last couple of years, people in the global diaspora community have continued to visit Ghana and have especially looked forward to some of the popular events that celebrate the country’s culture through music, fashion, live performances, food and culture.

Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, was in attendance for the launch receiving a citation for the work he has done since 2019 in bridging the gap between the diaspora and Ghana. “Ghana is important to Africa, Ghana is important to the diaspora,” he said in his address. “Once we link as a diaspora we are stronger…it’s through the African diaspora that we can succeed.” The citation was presented to him by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the Ghana Tourism Authority and the Beyond the Return secretariat. “We look forward to the continued development of our relationship with the NAACP in encouraging the diaspora to make the trip to Ghana,” Agyeman said.

Some of the industry stakeholders present at the event included the Mayor of Accra, Elizabeth Sackey, the Board for the Ghana Tourism Authority, Steering Committee Members for Beyond the Return, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku Mantey, CEO of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Yofi Grant and the Director of the National Commission on Culture, Edna Nyame. Along with industry stakeholders, some event organizers were also in attendance at the launch. Some of the events returning for this year include Afrochella, Afro Nation, Akwaaba UK, Rhythms on da Runway, Kids in Tourism, GT Bank Concern, BHIM Concert, Joyful Way and A Taste of Ghana. There are some exciting new events also added to this year’s calendar of events, which will soon to be announced in the coming weeks.

By: Ivy Prosper

The second annual Migration2Ghana networking event once again brought together the diaspora community to share and exchange ideas and lessons on transitioning to life in Ghana. Created with the purpose of providing solutions and building strong connections with people, they use entertaining experiences to create a warm and welcoming environment for networking.

This edition featured a diverse group of speakers with a strong knowledge-base that serves all those considering migrating to Ghana. Investigative Journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, was a keynote speaker and shared information to help returnees with support in areas of security in Ghana. Other speakers included Human Resources Director, Vodafone, Hannah A. Akrong, CEO Oyarifa Mall, Peter Osei, CEO Food Pharmacy, Jusith Boate, General Practitioner & Management Consultant, Eurocare Ghana, Dinah Brodie-Mends and Artist & Founder, House of Safori, Safori.

The Borough of Brooklyn has named a street in Bedford-Stuyvesant (Bed-Stuy) after Ghana, highlighting the country’s leading role in building bridges amongst the global African Family. Bed-Stuy, has been a centre of African-American culture since the early 20th century and has been home to several cultural icons.

Making the announcement and the presentation at a “Destination Ghana” event at Weeksville Heritage Center, Councilman Robert E. Cornegy, Jr., on behalf of the people of Bed-Stuy and the Borough of Brooklyn, commended Ghana for the Year of Return initiative and the follow up Beyond the Return project.

The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture , Hon. Dr Ibrahim Awal and the CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyeman have been staking Ghana’s claim and engaging several business and opinion leaders in the city of New York to promote the destination .

The street to be named Bed-Stuy/Ghana Way, cements the strategic partnership between Ghana and Brooklyn. Dr. Awal in thanking the Council member, threw an invitation to the audience made up of politicians, business leaders, clergy and students to build on the goodwill for mutual growth. The CEO, Akwasi Agyeman presented programs lined up this December in Ghana and a proposed Independence trade mission in March 2022.

Eighty five year old Dr. Leonard Jeffries Jr, a well known Pan- Africanist who was in the audience was elated for seeing this day in his lifetime that Ghana will forever be part of the rich history of Bed-Stuy and Brooklyn.

Two survivors of what is known as the ‘Black Wall Street’ Massacre of 1921 are coming to Accra this month.  Mother Viola Fletcher is 107 years old and will be travelling with her 100-year-old brother, Hughes Van Ellis aka ‘Uncle Redd’.  Together they will fulfill their dream to travel to the African continent.  They chose Ghana, West Africa because the country has shown itself to be a success story and one with a strong pan-Africanist history welcoming the African diaspora for decades.

Until recently, the tragic events of the massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma were rarely discussed and hidden from American history.  From May 31 – June 1, 1921, a violent mob of whites in the city of Tulsa ambushed the prosperous Black community known as Greenwood.  This area has been referred to as ‘Black Wall Street’ because of the level of independence, financial success and freedom the community experienced.  The mob burnt the community to the ground which left Greenwood completely destroyed.  Black residents lost their homes and businesses. It was the complete erasure of everything they had built over several years.  It’s estimated that 3000 people were attacked and gunned down with bodies dumped in unmarked graves.  Mother Fletcher and her brother ‘Uncle Redd’ are survivors of this horrible massacre.  It’s a piece of American history that was kept hidden for decades and it’s only in recent years that it’s become more openly spoken about in America. 

The city of Tulsa commemorated the 100-year anniversary of the massacre with a ceremony attended by President Joe Biden. “For much too long, the history of what took place here was told in silence, cloaked in darkness.  But just because history is silent, it does not mean that it did not take place.  And while darkness can hide much, it erases nothing.  It erases nothing.  Some injustices are so heinous, so horrific, so grievous they can’t be buried, no matter how hard people try,” remarked Biden at the ceremony. 

Mother Fletcher recalls the events of the massacre saying, “On that first night, in 1921, I went to bed in my family’s home in Greenwood, a community that was rich, not only in terms of wealth, but in culture, community, and heritage,” she said. “My family had a beautiful home. We had great neighbors, and I had friends to play with. I felt safe. I had everything a child could need. I had a bright future ahead of me. Greenwood could have given me the chance to truly make a good life in this country. But within a few horrible hours, all of that was gone.” But now, after all these years, I’m so happy to be fulfilling a lifelong dream of going to Africa and I am so pleased that is to beautiful Ghana.”

OUR BLACK TRUTH and the Diaspora African Forum (DAF) are sponsoring this historic trip for Mother Fletcher and her brother Uncle Redd.  DAF has prepared tours and receptions at special events to honor them.  “I will never forget all that we escaped that so many others did not. I relive my memories of the Massacre every day…” Mother Fletcher said. “When my family was forced to flee Tulsa, I lost my chance at an education. I never finished school past the fourth grade, and never made much money. But now, at long last, at least I get to see Africa before I see God.”

By: Ivy Prosper