The 2023 PANAFEST/Emancipation Day Celebrations continued on Monday, July 24, 2023, with a wreath-laying ceremony at the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre, the George Padmore Library, and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra.
The wreath-laying ceremony was attended by Tourism Minister Mohammed Awal, who laid a wreath on behalf of the government and the people of Ghana.
The Osu Mantse Nortse laid a wreath on behalf of the Traditional leaders, while Miss Tourism Ghana laid a wreath on behalf of the Youth of Ghana. The South African ambassador laid a wreath on behalf of the Diaspora Community.
The wreath-laying ceremony was a solemn occasion to remember the victims of the transatlantic slave trade and to celebrate the progress that has been made since their emancipation.
The speakers at the ceremony all stressed the importance of remembering the past and working together to build a better future for all.
In his speech, Tourism Minister Awal said that PANAFEST is a “time to reflect on our history and to celebrate our resilience.” He said that the festival is also a “time to renew our commitment to fighting against all forms of discrimination and injustice.”
This Year’s commenced on July 19, 2023, with a Northern Pilgrimage. The five-day tour took participants to the historical slave routes that ancestors traveled before they were taken to the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles.
The pilgrimage began on Wednesday morning in Accra and will take participants to the Pikworo Slave Camp in the Upper East Region, the Salaga Slave Camp in the Northern Region, and the Bono Slave Market in the Bono East Region.
The tour ended with the crossing of the River Pra at Assin Praso in the Central Region.
