Diallo Sumbry, Founder and President of The Adinkra Group, has called on African governments and diaspora communities to move beyond rhetoric and embrace concrete reparative justice measures that include restitution, systems change, and cultural sovereignty.
He made the call during the 2025 PANAFEST and Emancipation Day Wreath-Laying Ceremonies held on Wednesday, 23 July 2025, at the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre, George Padmore Library, and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra. The event was themed “Let us speak of reparative justice – Pan-African artistic activism.”
Addressing a diverse audience of traditional leaders, government officials and diaspora returnees, Sumbry described reparative justice as “a moral, historical and economic debt” owed to the descendants of enslaved Africans and insisted that its delivery must go beyond symbolism and policy talk.
“Reparative justice is not charity. It is not aid. It is not symbolic,” Sumbry stated. “It is a historical, moral, and economic debt owed to people who endured the unimaginable and survived.”
Diallo Sumbry, who is the first US‑based tourism ambassador appointed by Ghana, said he did not attend the ceremony as a guest, but as a “committed son of Africa,” whose blood and spirit are rooted in the continent’s history. He invoked the memory of Pan-African trailblazers including Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Thomas Sankara, Sekou Touré, and Patrice Lumumba, adding that the current generation must honour their sacrifices with action.
He paid special tribute to President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso, whom he described as “a 21st-century flame bearer” and praised President John Dramani Mahama for taking “bold visible steps” to revive Kwame Nkrumah’s vision of an independent and united Africa.
“Today we face forward, not forgetting our past but charging into the future with clarity and purpose. Their spirits ask us: what are we doing with the freedom they died for?” he posed.
Touching on the role of creative expression, Diallo Sumbry challenged African nations to view art as a political tool and a vehicle of resistance, not merely entertainment.
“Our music, our poetry, our murals—they are not just for show. They are our shield and our sword. When textbooks lied, our art carried the truth,” he said. “We must fund it. We must protect it. We must own our cultural economies.”
He also underscored the urgency of reclaiming stolen African artefacts housed in European museums, criticising the ongoing practice where African nations must pay to view or borrow their own stolen cultural heritage.
“How can someone steal something from you, and you must visit them to see it—or worse, pay to borrow it back?” he asked. “That will never make sense to me.”
Sumbry made a passionate appeal for diaspora inclusion in African nation-building strategies, calling on governments to go beyond open-door sentiments and establish structured systems for land access, dual citizenship, diaspora investment, and cultural preservation.
“The door of return must not just be open—it must be fully welcoming in systems that are measurable and strategic,” he said.
He argued that Pan-Africanism without the diaspora is incomplete, just as the diaspora without Africa is unrooted. He urged diaspora youth to reconnect with the continent, sharing that he had brought a group of young men from abroad to experience Ghana firsthand.
“Last night, we sat around in Osu discussing manhood, responsibility, and their experience in Ghana,” he shared. “Their presence here today, despite the fatigue, is proof of our commitment to the next generation.”
Sumbry closed with a rallying call for global mobilisation, urging the diaspora to stop seeing themselves as victims and instead embrace their roles as visionaries, bridge-builders, and organisers.
“We are not victims anymore. We are visionaries. Let us not just visit Africa. Let us invest in it. Let us not just speak of reparative justice—let us demand it and more importantly, let us live it.”
His address concluded one of the most rousing segments of the Emancipation Wreath-Laying Ceremony, leaving attendees with a renewed sense of urgency and purpose.
The 2025 PANAFEST and Emancipation Day events continue to draw global attention as Ghana strengthens its position as a centre for African memory, cultural healing and diaspora reconnection.
