Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:00HEIRS, THEY USED OTHER RELATIVES
00:00:02TO FIGURE OUT THAT IT IS LIKELY
00:00:05HIS BECAUSE OF JUST THE
00:00:07COMMONALITY OF SEVERAL PIECES IN THE RESEARCH THAT THEY FOUND.
00:00:11THE COFFIN FRAGMENT IS VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE WHEN
00:00:14WASHINGTON WAS REINTERRED AT MOUNT VERNON, THEY BROKE APART
00:00:18HIS FIRST COFFIN AND GAVE IT AWAY AS SOUVENIRS.
00:00:21AND THIS PIECE ARTICULATES IT'S IT WAS A GIFT FROM SOMEBODY IN
00:00:25HAVANA, CUBA, TO SOMEBODY IN
00:00:27VIRGINIA, HAVANA AND CUBA, WHERE, OF COURSE, THE SPANISH
00:00:30TERRITORIES AT THE TIME, A KEY ALLY TO THE UNITED STATES DURING
00:00:34THE WAR EFFORT, FERRYING
00:00:36RESOURCES AND OTHER SUPPLIES
00:00:38ACROSS THE WATERS TO LEAVE THIS. BUT YOU CAN FINISH WATCHING
00:00:42ONLINE AND AT C-SPAN, YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE TAKE YOU LIVE NOW TO HOWARD UNIVERSITY IN
00:00:46WASHINGTON, D.C. TO HEAR FROM
00:00:48GHANIAN MONARCH OTUMFUO OSEI
00:00:54TUTU. GOOD EVENING.
00:00:58MY NAME IS MADELEINE.
00:01:00ANY MORE AC WARMER?
00:01:02I AM A SENIOR CHEMISTRY MAJOR
00:01:06BIOLOGY AND MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH. DOUBLE MINOR FROM CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA.
00:01:10BY WAY OF GHANA.
00:01:16FOR MANY OF US AS STUDENT
00:01:19LEADERS SAYING YES TO AN IDEA LENDING A HELPING HAND OR
00:01:23HELPING TO BRING A VISION TO
00:01:25HELPING TO BRING A VISION TO
00:01:27LIFE ON CAMPUS, IS SIMPLY PART OF WHAT WE DO.
00:01:31BUT BUT WHAT WE CANNOT ALWAYS ANTICIPATE IS WHAT THE MAGNITUDE
00:01:35OF A SIMPLE YES MAY TURN INTO. AND I CERTAINLY DID NOT
00:01:41ANTICIPATE THIS WHEN I SAID YES MANY MONTHS AGO WHEN THE
00:01:47GHANAIAN STUDENT UNION WAS FORMED FOUR YEARS AGO BY JANICE
00:01:50SAMUEL AND AROUND.
00:01:54SO THEY COULD NOT HAVE KNOWN THAT THEIR VISION WOULD ONE DAY
00:01:57LEAD TO THIS MOMENT. THEY CREATED A SPACE FOR
00:02:01STUDENTS TO CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND SHARE GHANAIAN CULTURE TO THE HOWARD UNIVERSITY
00:02:06COMMUNITY. TONIGHT, THAT VISION COMES FULL
00:02:10CIRCLE AS THE GHANAIAN STUDENT UNION WELCOME THE ASANTEHENE TO
00:02:13HOWARD UNIVERSITY.
00:02:15FOR GENERATIONS, HOWARD UNIVERSITY HAS BROUGHT PEOPLE
00:02:19TOGETHER ACROSS CULTURES AND GENERATIONS.
00:02:22TONIGHT THAT TRADITION CONTINUES
00:02:24AS WE WELCOME A DISTINCT TRADITIONAL LEADER TO OUR
00:02:27HISTORIC CAMPUS.
00:02:30HIS MAJESTY TOMB FOR OSEI TUTU,
00:02:34THE SECOND IS THE 16TH
00:02:38ASANTEHENE, INSTALLED IN 1999 AT
00:02:39MINSTER PALACE IN KUMASI FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS.
00:02:44HIS MAJESTY HAS CARRIED THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOLDEN STOOL.
00:02:49THE SACRED SYMBOL OF ASANTE CULTURE, UNITY AND SOVEREIGNTY.
00:02:55HIS REIGN HAS SHOWN THAT TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP CAN
00:02:57REMAIN DEEPLY ROOTED WHILE CONTINUING TO SHAPE THE WORLD AROUND IT.
00:03:03FOR MANY OF US WHO CARRY GHANA WITH US AS WE BUILD OUR LIVES
00:03:06BEYOND ITS BORDERS.
00:03:08MOMENTS LIKE THIS REMIND US THAT
00:03:12HISTORY IS NOT DEFINED BY GEOGRAPHY.
00:03:15IT LIVES IN THE HISTORY WE
00:03:17INHERIT, THE CULTURE WE CARRY AND THE RELATIONSHIPS WE CONTINUE TO BUILD.
00:03:21WAY BEYOND THE BORDERS.
00:03:24TONIGHT, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH A LIVING
00:03:27INSTITUTION OF GHANAIAN CULTURE, HISTORY AND LEADERSHIP.
00:03:33WHILE WE REFLECT ON WHAT OUR SHARED HERITAGE ASKS OF US AS
00:03:36THE NEXT GENERATION, YOUR
00:03:40MAJESTY, IT IS MY PROFOUND HONOR TO WELCOME YOU TO HOWARD
00:03:46UNIVERSITY.
00:03:51ON BEHALF OF THE HOWARD UNIVERSITY GHANAIAN STUDENT
00:03:54UNION, THE HOWARD UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY, THANK YOU FOR JOINING
00:03:58US AT THE MECCA.
00:04:00PLEASE RISE IF YOU ARE ABLE AND
00:04:02JOIN ME IN WELCOMING HIS MAJESTY
00:04:06OTUMFUO OSEI TUTU, THE SECOND
00:04:11THE 16TH ASANTEHENE.
00:04:14I FIRST MET THE YOUNG SO ABOUT
00:04:18OH, SO THAT WHEN I GOT TO PLAY ABOUT HIM I THOUGHT YEAH, YES,
00:04:21I'LL WORK. I NANA.
00:04:25YES, I WAS WRONG ABOUT US HERE
00:04:29BUT GOT TO ASK HIM ABOUT THEM. I THOUGHT YEAH. YES.
00:04:31I WENT I I YES I SAW ABOUT ONE
00:04:38DAY OLD GUY THAT BELOW ME I WON
00:04:41THE AA AS I DO FOR GUYS.
00:04:43I FOR ONE YEAR DIED OF YOUR DAD.
00:04:48HAVE YOU EVER AS I WAS.
00:04:52I DIE FOR ONE. I DIED.
00:04:54OH, GOD. IN YOUR BLOODY.
00:04:56I KNOW, NANA. YOUR WAY I THEM BACK.
00:05:00I ALWAYS YOU DAY BY DAY YOU ALL
00:05:04BY THEIR EYES HOW DIFFERENT.
00:05:08I FOR ONE YEAR DIED YOUR.
00:05:15BECAUSE IT WAS JUST I.
00:05:23DO WHY I.
00:05:26I JUST GO BY THE TIME.
00:05:42I.
00:05:45GO OUT YOU GUYS WILL NEVER WATCH
00:05:48OVER THAT NETWORK.
00:05:49I WAS SO GOOD NO WORSE YOU PASS
00:05:53OUT TODAY BECAUSE AGAIN,
00:05:55PROBABLY I NEVER LIKE I SAID
00:05:59NICK I SEND IN MY PROBABLY HAVE
00:06:02THE MONEY BECAUSE MY CAR THE 80
00:06:06YEAR YOUR MONEY FOR TALKING IN I DON'T JUDGE I'M JUST NOT UP ON
00:06:09ICE UNTIL JOHN JUDGE JUDGE
00:06:13MUTOMBO AGAIN I THOUGHT THAT
00:06:14THIS YEAR WAS I WAS UNTOUCHABLE
00:06:17SMARTY JONES YES I NEVER ROB
00:06:20YOUR SON TEENAGER AGAIN.
00:06:23NOTHING TO ANYONE IN REALITY. YOU SAID TO TELL HIM I WAS YOUR
00:06:28PERSONAL. YES. ENJOY. YES. AND GIVE US A MOMENT AGO. AND I MEAN, YOU KNOW WHAT PERSON
00:06:31THAT YOU ARE SOME JENNY IN SANTA MONICA, THE MAN.
00:06:34YOU KNOW, I SAID YOUR BOY BEING
00:06:36I SAID YOUR UNCLE BABY.
00:06:40LET'S GO BACK ON.
00:06:40I NEVER I'M POOR THEM IF THEY I
00:06:44MEAN NO DOUBT THE NAME I LIKE
00:06:47THAT QUITE YOUNG AND I DIDN'T
00:06:50KNOW NOT THAT MUCH I WANT. YEAH YEAH.
00:06:52THE ALPHABET I DON'T I THOUGHT WELL JOHN PAUL. NO, NOTHING.
00:06:56THE GUY SIMON WELL DOES BECAUSE I MIGHT KNOW YOU'RE TALKING
00:07:00ABOUT VALUES AND I GREW UP UP
00:07:02I'M CALLING FROM ENOUGH OF FOR
00:07:06YOU KNOW FLOW AWAY FROM FOR THEM
00:07:08TO FOLLOW WHAT LOVE ON YOUR
00:07:12BLESSING WAS CITED FOR GOOD NO WORSE AND THEN WE'LL MY DOCTOR
00:07:15THAT LIKE I WOKE. WELL THAT'S ANOTHER SONG IN
00:07:22WELCOME GROUP I DON'T KNOW YOUR
00:07:23MIRROR ZONE OH OH MY.
00:07:30OH WHATEVER WHATEVER.
00:07:47OH OH OH, OH YEAH.
00:07:51WHEN MY.
00:07:55WELL ANYBODY ON TOP OF YOUR LIFE.
00:07:58YOU ALL DON'T BOTHER FORGETTING WHAT ANYBODY ELSE WITH YOUR
00:08:02BODY. I DON'T KNOW.
00:08:03I WILL JUMP ON BEHALF OF MY DEAR
00:08:07WIFE AND CHILDREN.
00:08:09AND ON BEHALF OF THE CHIEFS AND PEOPLE OF US.
00:08:12AND TO MY ZONE, I BRING YOU WARM GREETINGS.
00:08:15I'M DEEPLY HONORED TO STAND BEFORE YOU.
00:08:18AND HOW WOULD YOU INVESTED TODAY?
00:08:20AN INSTITUTION WHOSE HISTORY OCCUPIES A DISTINGUISHED PLACE
00:08:24IN THE INTELLECTUAL POLITICAL
00:08:26AND SOCIAL ADVANCEMENT OF PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT.
00:08:30SO AS AS MY SINCERE APPRECIATION
00:08:33TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE MILLENNIUM ALLIANCE FOUNDATION
00:08:36AND TO THE LEADERSHIP OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY FOR ATTENDING THIS
00:08:41INVITATION TO ME AND FOR CREATING THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR US
00:08:45TO FLAG TOGETHER ON MATTERS THAT CONCERN NOT MERELY GHANA OR
00:08:49AFRICA, BUT THE WIDER HISTORICAL FAMILY OF AFRICAN PEOPLES ACROSS
00:08:53THE WORLD, JUST HOW THE
00:08:56UNIVERSITY IS MORE THAN AN INSTITUTION AT WHICH KNOWLEDGE
00:08:58IS TRANSMITTED AND ACADEMIC DEGREES ARE AWARDED IS AN
00:09:04INSTITUTION OF MEMORY. INTELLECTUAL COURAGE, SOCIAL
00:09:08RESPONSIBILITY AND SERVICE SCIENCES ESTABLISHMENT.
00:09:11IT HAS HELPED GENERATIONS OF MEN
00:09:13AND WOMEN OF AFRICAN DESCENT TO DEMONSTRATE THAT EDUCATION AND
00:09:17NOT SIMPLY A PATHWAY TOWARDS
00:09:19INDIVIDUAL ADVANCEMENT, BUT ALSO
00:09:22A RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS SOCIETY.
00:09:25SO ITS COMMITMENT TO TRUTH AND SERVICE MAKES THIS UNIVERSITY,
00:09:28AND ESPECIALLY APPROPRIATE, PLACE TO CONSIDER THE
00:09:32RELATIONSHIP AMONG GOVERNANCE, CULTURE, PRESERVATION,
00:09:37TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF MEANINGFUL BONDS
00:09:40BETWEEN AFRICA AND ITS DIASPORA ZONE.
00:09:44THE THEME PLACED BEFORE US IS PROFOUND BECAUSE IT BRINGS
00:09:47TOGETHER THREE SUBJECTS THAT ARE
00:09:48TOO OFTEN CONSIDERED SEPARATELY.
00:09:53GOVERNANCE CONCERNS THE ORGANIZATION OF POWER AND
00:09:55RESPONSIBILITY, CULTURE CONCERNS
00:09:58THE MEANING PEOPLE GIVE TO THE EXISTENCE AND THE DIASPORA
00:10:02CONCERNED. THE SURVIVAL OF IDENTITY ACROSS GEOGRAPHY, DISPLACEMENT AND
00:10:08HISTORIC CO RUPTURE.
00:10:11YET BENEATH ALL THESE THREE
00:10:13LINES, ONE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION
00:10:15HOW DOES A PEOPLE ORGANIZE ITSELF?
00:10:19UNDERSTAND ITSELF AND TRANSMIT TO FUTURE GENERATIONS AN
00:10:23INHERITANCE OF WHERE'S YOUR PRESERVATION ZONE?
00:10:26MY PROPOSITION THIS EVENING IS THAT TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP,
00:10:29WHEN EXERCISED WITH INTERNAL
00:10:32WISDOM ACCOUNT STABILITY AND RESPECT FOR CONSTITUTIONAL
00:10:36GOVERNMENT REMAINS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE ANSWER TO THAT
00:10:41QUESTION. SO TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP SHOULD
00:10:43NOT BE UNDERSTOOD MERELY AS AN INSTITUTION INHERITED FROM THE PAST, NOR SHOULD CATCH UP BE
00:10:49REDUCED. A SORT OF CEREMONIAL DISPLAY
00:10:51PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD.
00:10:53BOTH ARE LEAVING RESOURCES THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO GOOD
00:10:57GOVERNANCE, SOCIAL COHESION,
00:11:00PEACE BUILDING, EDUCATION,
00:11:03DEVELOPMENT, CULTURAL CONFIDENCE AND THE RENEWAL OF RELATIONSHIP
00:11:06BETWEEN AFRICA AND THE PEOPLES
00:11:08OF AFRICAN DESCENT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
00:11:12GOVERNANCE IS FREQUENTLY CONFUSED WITH GOVERNMENT.
00:11:17YET WHILE GOVERNMENT REFERS TO THE FORMALITIES TRADITIONS OF
00:11:19THE STATE, THE EXECUTIVE, THE
00:11:21LEGISLATURE, THE JUDICIARY MINISTRIES, PUBLIC AGENCIES AND
00:11:24THE ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINERY THROUGH WHICH PUBLIC POLICY IS
00:11:30IMPLEMENTED, GOVERNANCE IS WIDER.
00:11:32IT CONCERNS THE MANNER IN WHICH
00:11:34AUTHORITIES ACQUIRED, EXERCISED,
00:11:38LIMITED TRANSFER AND TRANSFERRED
00:11:41HOW RESOURCES ARE MANAGED, HOW
00:11:44DISPUTES ARE RESOLVED, HOW LEADERS ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE,
00:11:49HOW THE VULNERABLE ARE PROTECTED, AND HOW SOCIETY
00:11:51DEFINES AND PURSUE THE COMMON GOOD.
00:11:55JUST A NATION MAY POSSESS AN IMPRESSIVE CONSTITUTION AND YET
00:11:59EXPERIENCE POOR GOVERNANCE. IT WILL HOLD REGULAR ELECTIONS
00:12:02AND STILL FAIL TO PROVIDE
00:12:04JUSTICE, SECURITY, EDUCATION,
00:12:06HEALTH CARE, OR MEANINGFUL
00:12:08PARTICIPATION FOR SUBSTANTIAL SECTIONS OF THIS POPULATION.
00:12:12JOB IS TO SEE AND DO NOT OPERATE
00:12:15IN A MORAL VACUUM.
00:12:17THEY OPERATE WITHIN CULTURES,
00:12:19HABITS, EXPECTATIONS AND SYSTEMS
00:12:22OF SOCIAL OBLIGATION.
00:12:25LAW IS INDISPENSABLE, BUT LAW ALONE CANNOT CREATE A GOOD
00:12:31SOCIETY. A CONSTITUTION MAY DETERMINE WHAT A PUBLIC OFFICIAL IS
00:12:33PERMITTED TO DO.
00:12:35BUT CULTURE HELPS DETERMINE WHAT
00:12:38SOCIETY BELIEVES A RESPONSIBLE LEADER OUGHT TO DO.
00:12:41JOB COURT MAY PUNISH CORRUPTION AFTER THE OFFENSE.
00:12:45AS A KID. STILL, SO SOCIETY MUST ALSO
00:12:49CULTIVATE THE MORAL CONVICT,
00:12:51GIVEN THAT PUBLIC RESOURCES ARE HELD IN TRUST AND MUST NOT BE
00:12:55TREATED AS PRIVATE PROPERTY.
00:12:57SO A JUDICIAL DECISION MAY DETERMINE THE LEGAL RIGHTS OF
00:13:01PARTIES TO A DISPUTE, BUT JUDGMENT ALONE DOES NOT ALWAYS
00:13:05TO RESTORE DAMAGED RELATIONSHIPS
00:13:07WITHIN FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES.
00:13:09GOVERNANCE, THEREFORE, REQUIRES MORE THAN INSTITUTIONAL
00:13:14MACHINERY, SO IT REQUIRES LEGITIMATE, MESSY TRUSTS.
00:13:18MOREOVER, RESTRAINT, MEMORY AND
00:13:21SHARED EXPECTATIONS AS WELL AS CITIZENS AND LEADERS WILL
00:13:24UNDERSTAND THAT RIGHTS ARE
00:13:25INSEPARABLE FROM OBLIGATIONS AND THAT POWER IS INSEPARABLE FROM
00:13:30RESPONSE ABILITY.
00:13:31SO TRADITIONAL AFRICAN POLITICAL SYSTEMS UNDER THIS RELATIONSHIP
00:13:36BETWEEN AUTHORITY AND MORAL OBLIGATION IN WAYS THAT DESERVE
00:13:38SERIOUS ACADEMIC ATTENTION.
00:13:42LEADERSHIP WAS RARELY CONCEIVED MERELY MERELY AS THE POSSESSION
00:13:45OF A RESTRICTED POWER. THE RULE WAS EXPECTED TO PROTECT
00:13:49THE COMMUNITY, ADMINISTER JUSTICE, PRESERVE THE LAND,
00:13:55DEFEND THE VULNERABLE, AND MAINTAIN THE PEOPLE'S PEOPLE'S
00:14:00INHERITANCE. JOE AUTHORITY WAS THEREFORE
00:14:04ACCOMPANIED BY RESPONSIBILITY AND THE PRINCIPLE REMAINS
00:14:06RELEVANT TO OUR MODERN WORLD.
00:14:10POWER SEPARATED FROM RESPONSIBLY
00:14:13BECOMES DANGEROUS. AUTHORITY SEPARATED FROM
00:14:18ACCOUNTABILITY EVENTUALLY LOSES
00:14:20LEGITIMACY, A LEGACY THAT SEEKS PRIVILEGE WITHOUT ACCEPTING
00:14:24OBLIGATION WEAKENS THE INSTITUTION FROM WHICH THAT PRIVILEGE DERIVES.
00:14:29JOE ARBITRARY IN THIS RESPECT, TO DRAW UPON, THEY ARE CERTAIN
00:14:32TO CONSTITUTE NOW TRADITION.
00:14:36SANJAY POLITICAL SYSTEM IS SOMETIMES MISUNDERSTOOD BY THOSE
00:14:40WHO ENCOUNTER ONLY VISIBLE MANIFESTATIONS.
00:14:44THE GOLDINGS TO THE ROYAL UMBRELLA AS THE DRUMS, THE
00:14:49GOLDEN MOMENTS, THE LINGUIST AS THEY STAND HERE, THE SALTS, THE
00:14:53PROCESSION AND THE GREAT CEREMONIES OF STATE.
00:14:57THESE SYMBOLS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY ARE THE VISIBLE
00:14:59LANGUAGE THROUGH WHICH MEMORY AND AUTHORITY COMMUNICATE.
00:15:03IT. JUST BENEATH THE SPLENDOR LIES A
00:15:08SOPHISTICATED PHILOSOPHY OF POLITICAL RESPONSIBLE PARTY ZONE.
00:15:12THE GOLDENS, TOO, IS NOT THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OF THE ASANTEHENE.
00:15:16IT REPRESENTS THE UNITY,
00:15:18IDENTITY, HISTORICAL CONTINUITY
00:15:20AND COLLECTIVE SPIRIT OF A SENTIMENT THAT SOMETHING IS
00:15:24THEREFORE NOT THE OWNER OF THE NATION BUT ITS CUSTODIAN AND
00:15:28THAT DISTINCTION IS FUNDAMENTAL.
00:15:30THE OCCUPANT OF THE GOLDEN STOOL
00:15:33RECEIVES AN INHERITANCE THAT EXISTED BEFORE HIM AND WHICH
00:15:37MUST ENDURE AFTER HIM.
00:15:38HE HOLDS AUTHORITY TEMPORARILY, BUT HE HOLDS THE PUPIL'S
00:15:43HERITAGE AND TRUSTS THE LAND
00:15:46INSTITUTIONS, MEMORIES AND MORAL
00:15:48OBLIGATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH A STOOL CANNOT LEGITIMATELY BE
00:15:52REDUCED TO THE PAST INTERESTS OF
00:15:54THE INDIVIDUAL WHO OCCUPIES IT. JUST BECAUSE, FROM THIS
00:15:59PERSPECTIVE, LEADERSHIP IS A FORM OF TRUSTEES.
00:16:02THAT IDEA OF TRUSTEESHIP
00:16:04CONTAINS AN IMPORTANT LESSON FOR ALL SYSTEMS OF GOVERNANCE.
00:16:08WE HOLD OFFICE TEMPORARILY. WE INHERITED INSTITUTIONS FROM
00:16:11THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US. AND ALTHOUGH WE EXERCISE
00:16:15AUTHORITY IN THE PRESENT, DECISIONS AFFECT PEOPLE WHO ARE
00:16:19NOT YET BORN. THE LEADER WHO CONSUMES
00:16:23EVERYTHING FOR THE ADVANTAGE OF THE PRESENT GENERATION HAS BEEN MISUNDERSTOOD.
00:16:27THE NATURE OF STEWARDSHIP.
00:16:29THIS PRINCIPLE HAS PARTICULAR
00:16:31AGENCY URGENCY IN AN AGE OF
00:16:33ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION,
00:16:36UNCONTROLLED DISPLAY AND EXPLOITATION OF NATURAL
00:16:40RESOURCES AND POLITICAL DECISION MAKING DOMINATED BY SHORT TERM
00:16:44CONSIDERATIONS. WE DID NOT CREATE THE RIVERS,
00:16:48FORESTS, LAND AND ECOLOGICAL
00:16:50ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AS SUSTAIN US.
00:16:53WE INHERITED THEM AND WHATEVER
00:16:56OUR AUTHORITY MAY BE TODAY, WE
00:16:58HAVE NO MORAL RIGHT TO DESTROY THE INHERITANCE OF GENERATIONS
00:17:02UNBORN. SO TRADITIONAL GOVERNANCE ALSO
00:17:06REMINDS US TO STOP.
00:17:14SERVING TRADITIONAL GOVERNANCE ALSO REMINDS US THAT LEGITIMATE
00:17:18AUTHORITY REQUIRES CONSULTATION.
00:17:20PEOPLE SAY TO GROW AND QUIET YOU
00:17:24NOT MEANING THAT ONE HEAD DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A COUNCIL.
00:17:27AND WE ALSO SAY, YES, A NEW PAPA
00:17:31COULD SWIM, MEANING THAT WISDOM DOES NOT RESIDE IN THE HEAD OF
00:17:35ONE PERSON ALONE. THESE ARE NOT MERELY ATTRACTIVE
00:17:39PROVERBS. THEY COMMUNICATE A POLITICAL
00:17:43PHILOSOPHY THAT ASANTEHENE EXERCISES AUTHORITY THROUGH AN
00:17:45ESTABLISHED ORDER OF CHIEFS,
00:17:47QUEEN, MOTHERS, ELDERS, LINGUISTS AND RECOGNIZED
00:17:51CUSTOMARY OFFICES. MATTERS ARE CONSIDERED EVIDENCE.
00:17:56WE BE HEARD. HISTORICAL PRECEDENT MAY BE RECALLED.
00:18:00DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES MAY BE PRESENTED AND DECISIONS ARE
00:18:03SHAPED BY CONSULTATION AND
00:18:05CONCERN FOR COMMUNAL HARMONY.
00:18:07JUST CONSULTATION DOES NOT MEAN
00:18:10THE LEADERSHIP HAS NO AUTHORITY,
00:18:12NOR DOES LISTENING DIMINISH THE DIGNITY OF THE LEADER.
00:18:17THE LEADER WHO REFUSES TO HEAR CONTRARY TO OPINION, EVENTUALLY
00:18:19BECOMES IMPRISONED BY THOSE WHO
00:18:22TAUGHT HIM ONLY WHAT HE WISHES TO HEAR.
00:18:25SO RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP MUST THEREFORE CREATE ROOM FOR
00:18:28DIFFICULT TRUTH. THE MODERN WORLD SOMETIMES
00:18:32REQUIRES DECISIVENESS FOR REFUSING CONSULTATION.
00:18:35BUT OUR ANCESTORS UNDERSTOOD DIFFERENTLY.
00:18:38THEY KNEW THAT THE STRENGTH OF A DECISION MAY DEPEND UPON THE
00:18:42QUALITY OF DELIBERATION THAT PRECEDES IT.
00:18:44THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS SHOULD
00:18:47BE ROMANCES, BECAUSE NO
00:18:51INSTITUTION TRADITIONAL POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS OR
00:18:55ACADEMIC, IS BEYOND CRITICISM OR
00:18:57REFORM AND ANTIQUITY ALONE DOES
00:19:00NOT CONFER MORE UP AFFECTION. TRADITION.
00:19:04AUTHORITY MUST JUSTIFY ITS CONTINUED RELEVANCE THROUGH SERVICE.
00:19:08A CHIEF WHO IS CONCERNED ONLY
00:19:09WITH CEREMONIAL PRIVILEGES TITLE AND PUBLIC HONOR GRADUALLY
00:19:13DIMINISHES THE INSTITUTION THAT HE REPRESENTS.
00:19:15AT THE SAME TIME, A TRADITIONAL RULER WHO WOULD LISTEN TO HIS
00:19:21PEOPLE PROTEST COMMUNITY
00:19:23RESOURCES, PROMOTE, EDUCATE,
00:19:25MEDIATE CONFLICT, ASSESS THE VULNERABLE, AND RESPOND TO
00:19:29CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES, STRENGTHENS BOTH TRADITION AND SOCIETY.
00:19:34LOVE, TRADITION AND LEADERSHIP IN THE 21ST CENTURY CANNOT
00:19:37THEREFORE BE LIMITED TO FESTIVALS AND CEREMONIAL OCCASIONS.
00:19:41IT MUST BE CAPABLE OF RESPONDING
00:19:43TO EDUCATIONAL INEQUALITY,
00:19:45UNEMPLOYMENT AND GOVERNMENTAL DEGRADATION.
00:19:49LAND DISPUTES. PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES, COMMUNITY CONFLICT AND THEIR
00:19:54ANXIETY IS OF YOUNG PEOPLE. THE POLICE MUST REMAIN A
00:19:57GUARDIAN OF MEMORY, BUT IT MUST ALSO BECOME A WORKSHOP FOR THE
00:20:01FUTURE. SO THIS REQUIRES TRADITIONAL
00:20:04INSTITUTIONS THEMSELVES TO
00:20:06ACCEPT REFORM BECAUSE TRADITION MUST NEVER BECOME A SHIELD
00:20:10BEHIND WHICH INJUSTICE, CORRUPTION, EXPLOITATION OR
00:20:12ARBITRARY AUTHORITY ARE PROTECTED.
00:20:16THE DIGNITY OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN MUST BE DEFENDED.
00:20:19YOUNG PEOPLE MUST BE HEARD.
00:20:21PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES MAY NOT BE MARGINALIZED.
00:20:25COMMUNITY RESOURCES MUST BE MANAGED RESPONSIBLY.
00:20:28LAND ON THE STREETS MUST BE
00:20:29TRANSPARENT AND SESSIONAL, AND CUSTOMERS PROCESSES MUST BE
00:20:34CONDUCTED WITH INTEGRITY. SO THE PROPER DEFENSE OF
00:20:38TRADITION IS THEREFORE NOT AN INSISTENCE THAT NOTHING SHOULD
00:20:40EVER CHANGE, BUT THE CAPACITY TO
00:20:44DISTINGUISH BETWEEN ENDURING PRINCIPLES OF AN INSTITUTION AND
00:20:47THOSE PRACTICES THAT REQUIRE CONSENT, RECONCILIATION.
00:20:51JOB ENTRY SURVIVES BECAUSE ITS
00:20:54ROOTS HOLD FIRMLY TO THE SOIL.
00:20:58BUT IT IS ALSO SURPRISED BECAUSE ITS BRANCHES RESPOND TO THE WIND
00:21:00AND REACH TOWARDS THE LIGHT.
00:21:02AND SO MUST AN INSTITUTION.
00:21:04SO THIS BRINGS ME IT BRINGS ME TO CULTURE.
00:21:08CULTURE IS FREQUENTLY TREATED AS
00:21:12ENTERTAINMENT. APPEARING AT FESTIVALS, TOURISM
00:21:14AND EVENTS, DIPLOMATIC CEREMONIES, A NATURAL NATIONAL
00:21:19CELEBRATION AS WELL BEING TO OPEN UP SEN FROM SERIOUS
00:21:22CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT. SO YOU GOVERNANCE AND THE FUTURE
00:21:27OF SOCIETY. THIS IS A MISTAKE BECAUSE
00:21:30CULTURE IS NOT MERELY MUSIC,
00:21:32DANCE, CLOTHING, FOOD AND CEREMONY.
00:21:37IMPORT TO. AND THOUGH THESE ARE CULTURE
00:21:39INCLUDES LANGUAGE, MORALITY,
00:21:42HISTORICAL MEMORY, FAMILY
00:21:44ORGANIZATION, SPIRITUALITY,
00:21:46POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY, CUSTOMARY
00:21:49LAW, ARTISTIC KNOWLEDGE, METHODS
00:21:52OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION,
00:21:54ENVIRONMENTAL UNDERSTAND IT AND IDEAS ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES A
00:21:58GOOD HUMAN LIFE. CULTURE TELLS THE PEOPLE WHO
00:22:01THEY ARE AND PROVIDES THE INTELLECTUAL AND MORAL
00:22:04VOCABULARY THROUGH WHICH PEOPLE UNDERSTAND BIRTH AND DEATH.
00:22:08CHILDHOOD AND ADULTHOOD. MARRIAGE AND FAMILY.
00:22:12AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY.
00:22:14SUFFERING AND HOPE. SO SOCIETY THAT LOSE CONFIDENCE
00:22:18AND CONFIDENCE IN THIS CULTURE
00:22:20EVENTUALLY LOSE ITS CONFIDENCE IN ITSELF.
00:22:23BUT CULTURE PRESERVATION DOES
00:22:25NOT REQUIRE US TO FREE SOCIETY.
00:22:29AT SOME IMAGINED MOMENT IN THE PAST.
00:22:31CULTURE IS NOT A DEAD OBJECT TO BE PLACED BEHIND GLASS.
00:22:35IT IS A LIVING INHERITANCE THAT
00:22:37MUST BE UNDERSTOOD, PRACTICED,
00:22:39QUESTIONED, RENEWED AND TRANSMITTED.
00:22:44MODERNITY MUST NOT BE CONFUSED WITH IMITATION.
00:22:46AFRICA SHOULD LEARN FROM THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OTHER
00:22:50CIVILIZATIONS AND ADOPT USEFUL TECHNOLOGIES.
00:22:52SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES SOUND ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEMS AND
00:22:55INSTITUTIONS THAT IMPROVE HUMAN LIFE. BUT PARTICIPATION IN THE MODERN
00:22:59WORLD SHOULD NOT REQUIRE US TO ABANDON OUR OWN LANGUAGES.
00:23:03INTELLECTUAL TRADITION IS A
00:23:05HISTORICAL CONSCIOUSNESS, SO.
00:23:15SHOULD PROGRESS SHOULD NEVER REQUIRE A PEOPLE TO DESPISE
00:23:20THEMSELVES.
00:23:27THIS IS WHY THE PRESERVATION OF
00:23:31AFRICAN LANGUAGES DESERVES URGENT ATTENTION.
00:23:33LANGUAGE IS MORE THAN VOCABULARY.
00:23:35IT CARRIES HISTORY.
00:23:39HUMAN PHILOSOPHY MURARI IN THAT
00:23:42CATEGORY IS THROUGH WHICH PEOPLE INTERPRETS REALITY.
00:23:46IN OUR PROVERBS, I APPLY
00:23:48APPELLATIONS SONGS, CODE
00:23:50LANGUAGE AND ORAL TRADITIONS. SOME IDEAS CANNOT ALWAYS BE
00:23:55FULLY TRANSLATED INTO ANOTHER LANGUAGE.
00:23:57SO WHEN I LEARN A LANGUAGE
00:24:00DISAPPEARS, HUMANITY DOES NOT MERELY LOSE A METHOD OF
00:24:04COMMUNICATION. SO HUMANITY LOSES A DISTINCTIVE
00:24:06WAY OF UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD.
00:24:08SO WE MUST THEREFORE ASK
00:24:11OURSELVES DIFFICULT QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW MANY AFRICAN CHILDREN
00:24:15CAN SPEAK THE LANGUAGES OF THEIR GRANDPARENTS FLUENTLY.
00:24:20SO HOW MANY.
00:24:26YOUNG? HOW MANY? AND I MUST CONFESS, MY CHILDREN
00:24:29HAVE BEEN TAUGHT HOW TO SPEAK KANNADA, SPEAKING CHEAP
00:24:32REGULARLY, AND.
00:24:36SLOW. WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG, THEY WERE.
00:24:39THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE AMERICAN AND BRITISH, BUT NOW THEY KNOW
00:24:43THAT THEY ARE GHANIANS. SO NO.
00:24:46AND THEN HOW MANY UNDERSTAND THE
00:24:49HISTORIES OF THEIR TOWNS AND VILLAGE AND FAMILIES?
00:24:53HOW MANY KNOW THE MEANINGS CARRIED BY THE SYMBOLS OF THEIR
00:24:57COMMUNITIES? AND HOW MANY CAN INTERPRET THE FEAR THAT ONCE EDUCATED
00:25:00GENERATIONS IN ETHICS, RESPONSIBILITY AND SOCIAL CONDUCT?
00:25:05WE CANNOT LEAVE THE ANSWERS TO CHANCE.
00:25:07CULTURAL PRESERVATION MUST BEAR
00:25:10MUST BECOME PART OF SERIOUS EDUCATIONAL POLICY. UNIVERSITIES.
00:25:15TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES, MUSEUMS. FAMILIES. CHURCHES.
00:25:19COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNMENTS MUST WORK TOGETHER
00:25:22TO DOCUMENT ENDANGERED
00:25:25KNOWLEDGE, RECORD ORAL
00:25:27HISTORIES, PRESERVE ARCHIVES AND TRAIN YOUNGER GENERATIONS TO
00:25:30INTERPRET THEIR HERITAGE. TECHNOLOGY MUST BECOME AN ALLY
00:25:34OF CULTURE FOR PRESERVATION
00:25:37GENERATION HAS TO THAT THOSE
00:25:39BEFORE US COULD SCARCELY IMAGINE
00:25:41ALLOWING VOICES THAT ONCE EXISTED.
00:25:45ONLY HUMAN MEMORY TO BE PRESERVED.
00:25:48MANY MANUSCRIPTS TO BE
00:25:50DIGITIZED, HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE RESTORED AND ARCHIVED ORAL
00:25:56HISTORIES TO BE RECORDED, AND ENDANGERED LANGUAGES TO BE
00:26:00DOCUMENTED AND TAUGHT ACROSS CONTINENTS. PRESERVATION MUST, HOWEVER,
00:26:04REMAIN ETHICAL BECAUSE NOT EVERY
00:26:06SACRED OBJECT RITUAL OR BODY OR
00:26:10TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE IS INTENDED FOR UNRESTRICTED
00:26:14CIRCULATION. SO.
00:26:18SO CULTURE AND KNOWLEDGE HAS
00:26:22CUSTODIANS, CONTESTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES, AND
00:26:25DIGITIZATION SHOULD PRESERVE HERITAGE WITHOUT STRIPPING IT OF
00:26:29DIGNITY AND MEANING.
00:26:31SO IT IS WITHIN THE DISCUSSION
00:26:33OF HISTORY AND IDENTITY THAT WE MUST CONFRONT THE EXPERIENCE OF
00:26:36THE GLOBAL AFRICAN DIASPORA.
00:26:42SO THE DIASPORA AND MET THROUGH
00:26:44SEPARATE HISTORICAL PROCESSES.
00:26:46SOME AFRICANS LEFT THE CONTINENT VOLUNTARILY IN PURSUIT OF
00:26:50EDUCATION, COMMERCE, EMPLOYMENT AND OPPORTUNITY.
00:26:53IN CONTRAST TO MILLIONS OF
00:26:56OTHERS, WERE FORCIBLY REMOVED THROUGH SYSTEMS OF ENSLAVE,
00:27:00ENSLAVE MOVEMENT THAT INFLICTED IMMEASURABLE SUFFERING OPEN
00:27:03AFRICA AND ITS DESCENDANT, THE
00:27:07TRANS-ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE SEPARATED FAMILIES, DISRUPTED
00:27:10SOCIETIES, AND TRANSPORTED GENERATIONS OF AFRICAN MEN,
00:27:13WOMEN AND CHILDREN INTO A SYSTEM
00:27:15THAT SOUGHT NOT ONLY THEIR LABOR BUT THEIR HUMANITY.
00:27:19LOVE. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT HISTORY DID NOT DISAPPEAR WITH THE
00:27:23ABOLITION OF SLAVERY. SO THEY REMAIN VISIBLE IN
00:27:27QUESTIONS OF RACE INEQUALITY,
00:27:29ECONOMIC EXCLUSION, CULTURAL DISPLACEMENT AND THE CONTINUING
00:27:33STRUGGLE FOR EQUAL CITIZENSHIP AND DIGNITY.
00:27:36YET THE HISTORY OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA CANNOT BE WRITTEN ONLY
00:27:40AS A HISTORY OF VICTIMHOOD,
00:27:42BECAUSE IT IS ALSO A HISTORY OF SURVIVAL.
00:27:46RESISTANCE, INTELLECTUAL
00:27:49ACHIEVEMENT, POLITICAL COURAGE,
00:27:51SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION AND CULTURAL CREATIVITY.
00:27:55THOSE WHO CROSSED THE ATLANTIC UNDER CONDITIONS OF EXTREME
00:27:58VIOLENCE CARRIED MORE THAN MORE THAN THEIR BODIES.
00:28:02THEY CARRIED MEMORY,
00:28:04SPIRITUALITY, RHYTHM,
00:28:07AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE, ARTISTIC
00:28:09TRADITIONS AND IDEAS ABOUT FAMILY AND COMMUNITY.
00:28:13JUST UNDER CONDITIONS DESIGNED TO RAISE THEM.
00:28:16THEY RECREATED THEMSELVES IN AN
00:28:18ACROSS AMERICA, THE CARIBBEAN,
00:28:22EUROPE AND ELSEWHERE IN AFRICA AND DESCENDED COMMUNITIES
00:28:25TRANSFORMED SOCIETY AS HOW HAD OFTEN DENIED THEM EQUALITY.
00:28:31EQUALITY IN THE DIASPORA GAVE THE WORLD PHYSICIANS,
00:28:33SCIENTISTS, JUDGES, POLITICAL
00:28:36LEADERS, INTELLECTUALS, ARTISTS, EDUCATORS, FREEDOM FIGHTERS,
00:28:40ENTREPRENEURS AND BUILDERS OF INSTITUTIONS.
00:28:42IT PARTICIPATED IN MOVEMENTS
00:28:45AGAINST SLAVERY, COLONIALISM,
00:28:49SEGREGATION, APARTHEID AND RACIAL INJUSTICE.
00:28:51SUPPORT STRUGGLES FOR AFRICAN INDEPENDENCE AND HELPED TURN THE
00:28:55LIBERATION OF AFRICA INTO GLOBAL CAUSE.
00:28:59SOME AFRICA AND ITS DIAPER. THEREFORE OR ONE ANOTHER ADEPT
00:29:02OF RECORDING RECOGNITION AND THE
00:29:06RELATIONSHIP CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD AS ONE IN WHICH AFRICA PROVIDES AN SUCH
00:29:09ANCESTRAL IDENTITY. WHILE THE DIASPORA PROVIDES
00:29:13FINANCIAL RESOURCES THAT WILL BE
00:29:16AN IMPOVERISHED INTERPRETATION
00:29:21OF. THAT WILL BE AN IMPOVERISHED INTERPRETATION OF A PROFOUND
00:29:25HISTORICAL RELATIONSHIP. WE ARE PARTIES DEMANDS IN ONE
00:29:28LONG HISTORICAL CONVERSATION.
00:29:31GHANA HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN EFFORTS TO REBUILD THESE
00:29:35RELATIONS SHIPS AND INITIATIVES SUCH AS THE YEAR OF RETURN AND BEYOND.
00:29:39THE RETURN HAVE ENCOURAGED PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT TO
00:29:42VISIT GHANA AND RECONNECT, TO
00:29:44RECONNECT WITH THE CONTINENT. SO THIS, IN ITS INITIATIVES,
00:29:48HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE. BUT THE RELATIONSHIP MUST NOW
00:29:52MOVE BEYOND CEREMONIAL
00:29:54HOMECOMING AND PHOTOGRAPH AT A
00:29:56HISTORIC SITE DOES NOT BY ITSELF CREATE BELONGING.
00:30:01SO NO.
00:30:05AND AN AFRICAN NAME DOES NOT BY
00:30:09ITSELF CREATE BELONGING AND AND
00:30:14ATTENDANCE AT A FESTIVAL DOES
00:30:16NOT BY ITSELF CREATE BELONGING.
00:30:20BELONGING. IT IS CREATED THROUGH A RELATIONSHIP UNDERSTANDING
00:30:24RESPONSE, ABILITY AND SUSTAINED EFFORTS.
00:30:27THE PATIENT SHOW. THE CONCEPT OF SANKOFA INVITES
00:30:31US TO RETAIN AND ACHIEVE WHAT IS VALUABLE FROM THE PAST.
00:30:35BUT SANKOFA DOES NOT ASK US TO
00:30:37REMAIN PERMANENTLY FACING BACKWARDS.
00:30:40WE RECOVER MEMORY TO MOVE INTO
00:30:43THE FUTURE WITH GREATER WISDOM
00:30:45AND THE NEXT PHASE OF AFRICAN
00:30:48DIASPORA RELATIONS MUST THEREFORE MOVE FROM SYMBOLIC
00:30:51RETURN TOWARDS SUBSTANTIVE PARTNERSHIP.
00:30:57SO.
00:31:01I SAW OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD NOT BE REGARDED AS SIMPLY AS SOURCES
00:31:04OF REMITTANCES, TOURISM, INVESTMENT OR EXPERTISE BECAUSE
00:31:08THEY ARE PART OF THE WIDER AFRICA HISTORICAL FAMILY.
00:31:12MANY SEEK NOT ONLY COMMERCIAL
00:31:14OPPORTUNITY BUT DIGNITY.
00:31:16UNDERSTANDING RELATION SHIP THE
00:31:19MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION. SO AT THE SAME TIME WHERE
00:31:23RECONNECTION MUST BE APPROACHED WITH HUMILITY ON ALL SIDES
00:31:26BECAUSE AFRICA IS NOT CULTURALLY UNIFORM.
00:31:29GHANA IS NOT A SINGLE HISTORICAL
00:31:32COMMUNITY AND THE CONTINENT
00:31:34CONTAINS MANY PEOPLES LANGUAGES,
00:31:37POLITICAL TRADITIONS AND HISTORY
00:31:39ANSWERS IDENTITY IS FORMED IN
00:31:41THE AMERICAS, THE CARIBBEAN AND EUROPE UNDER SLAVERY.
00:31:45SO THE CREATION AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION DEVELOPED WITHIN
00:31:49CIRCUMSTANCES DIFFERENT FROM THOSE IN WHICH ETHNIC,
00:31:51LINGUISTIC AND NATIONALITY IDENTITIES ARE DEVELOPED WITHIN
00:31:55AFRICA. SO WE MUST THEREFORE LISTEN TO ONE ANOTHER.
00:31:59CONTINENTAL AFRICANS MUST LISTEN
00:32:01SERIOUSLY TO THE EXPERIENCES OF RACIAL INJUSTICE, CULTURE,
00:32:05DISPLACEMENT AND HISTORICAL DISPOSSESSION CARRIED BY THE
00:32:08DIASPORA COMMUNITIES. AT THE SAME TIME, MEMBERS OF THE
00:32:12DIASPORA MUST ALSO LISTEN TO AFRICA'S EXPERIENCES OF
00:32:16COLONIALISM, POLITICAL STRUGGLE,
00:32:18POVERTY, SAID BUILDING CONFLICT
00:32:20AND DEVELOPMENT.
00:32:23NEITHER SIDE SHOULD CLAIM EXCLUSIVE OWNERSHIP OF AFRICAN
00:32:26IDENTITY. WE MUST MEET US RELATIVES
00:32:29SEPARATED BY HISTORY. NOW WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO
00:32:33CONSTRUCT A SHARED FUTURE, SOME
00:32:37ADDITIONAL NEEDS GOVERNMENT.
00:32:44ADDITIONAL LEADERSHIP CAN CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO THIS PROCESS BECAUSE TRADITIONAL
00:32:49INSTITUTIONS CARRY HISTORICAL CONTINUITY IN WAYS THAT
00:32:51GOVERNMENTS CANNOT ALWAYS PROVIDE. GOVERNMENTS CAN CREATE
00:32:55DIPLOMATIC FRAMEWORKS,
00:32:58IMMIGRATION SYSTEMS INVEST IN
00:33:00POLICIES AND LEGAL STRUCTURES, WHILE TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS CAN PROVIDE CULTURAL
00:33:06INTERPRETATION, COMMUNITY ENTRY, HISTORIC CONTEST AND A SENSE OF
00:33:10BELONGING. THENTEGRITY, SO THAT RECOGNITION OF THE AFRICAN FAMILY MUST NEVER BECOME A
00:33:15MARKETPLACE IN WHICH BELONGING IS SOLD. SOME REWARDS.
00:33:19HISTORICAL CLAIMS WILL NOT BE
00:33:21INVENTED TO SATISFY EMOTIONAL
00:33:23SPECULATIONS AND SACRED INSTITUTIONS SHOULD NOT BE TRIVIALIZED.
00:33:27TRIVIALIZE FOR TOURISM OR SPECTACLE.
00:33:35STEP. TO BE RECEIVED INTO AN AFRICAN
00:33:38COMMUNITY IS TO ENTER A RELATIONSHIP AND EVERY
00:33:42MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIP CARRIES RESPONSIBILITIES.
00:33:46IF THE DIASPORA IS TO RECONNECT MEANINGFULLY WITH AFRICA, THEN
00:33:48RECONNECTION SHOULD CONTRIBUTE
00:33:50TO EDUCATION, CULTURE, ART,
00:33:52PRESERVATION, ENTERPRISE, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT,
00:33:56SCHOLARSHIP AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING. JUST TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS
00:33:59CAN HELP ESTABLISH PROCESSES FOR
00:34:01COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PROTECT
00:34:03DIASPORA VISITORS AND INVESTORS FROM ITS PROTECTION.
00:34:10SO. STILL, TRADITIONAL LEADERS MAY
00:34:14ALSO PROTECT LOCAL COMMUNITIES FROM ARRANGEMENTS THAT DISREGARD
00:34:17THEIR RIGHTS AND LIVELIHOODS.
00:34:19THE OBJECTIVE MUST BE SHARED AND SUSTAINABLE PROSPERITY.
00:34:23SO THIS NATURALLY BRINGS US TO
00:34:26THE UNIVERSITY'S RESPONSIBILITY.
00:34:28UNIVERSITIES ARE AMONG THE GREAT
00:34:30CUSTODIANS OF CIVILIZATION. THEY PRESERVE KNOWLEDGE,
00:34:34INTERROGATE ASSUMPTIONS, CHALLENGE FALSEHOOD, TRAIN
00:34:38PROFESSIONALS, AND SEEK THE INTELLECTUAL IMAGINATION OF SOCIETY.
00:34:42SO BUT UNIVERSITIES MUST ALSO
00:34:44LEARN TO LISTEN. FOR TOO LONG, SOME AFRICAN
00:34:48SYSTEMS OF KNOWLEDGE ENTERED
00:34:50ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS ONLY WHEN
00:34:54ONLY AFTER THEY HAD BEEN REINTERPRETED ELSEWHERE,
00:34:58KNOWLEDGE PRESERVED OR EARLY WELL SOMETIMES DISMISSED AS
00:35:02INFERIOR TO NOT KNOWLEDGE PRESERVED IN WRITING.
00:35:06WHILE AFRICAN INSTITUTIONS WERE OFTEN STUDIED THROUGH CONCEPTUAL
00:35:09CATEGORIES THAT ENGAGE INSUFFICIENTLY WITH AFRICAN
00:35:12SOCIETIES THEMSELVES, THIS
00:35:14IMBALANCE MUST BE CORRECTED WITHOUT ABANDONING ACADEMIC
00:35:18RIGOR. JUST THE ELDER WHO PRESERVE THE
00:35:21HISTORY OF A COMMUNITY, THE
00:35:22QUEEN MOTHER WHO UNDERSTOOD THE
00:35:25STRUCTURE OF THE ROYAL FAMILY, THE LINGUIST WHO PREPARED
00:35:28PRESERVES COURT LANGUAGE, THE
00:35:30FARMER WHO UNDERSTANDS THE LOCAL ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM AND THE
00:35:35CUSTOMARY AUTHORITY WHO HAS SPENT DECADES RESOLVING DISPUTES
00:35:37MAY POSSESS FORMS OF KNOWLEDGE
00:35:39WORTHY OF SERIOUS SCHOLARLY ATTENTION.
00:35:43SUCH KNOWLEDGE MUST NOT BE
00:35:47ROMANTICIZED. IT SHOULD BE EXAMINED.
00:35:49CRITICALLY HISTORICAL CLAIMS MUST BE INVESTIGATED.
00:35:54EVIDENCE MUST MATTER AND CONTRACT ACTIONS MUST BE ACKNOWLEDGED.
00:35:58YET INTELLECTUAL RIGOR OR INTELLECTUAL RESPECT ARE NOT
00:36:02ENEMIES. THE UNIVERSITY AND THE POLICE SHOULD NOT EXIST IN SEPARATE
00:36:06WORLDS. THE UNIVERSITY CAN ASSIST TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN
00:36:11DOCUMENTING HISTORIES, PRESERVING ARCHIVES,
00:36:13STRENGTHENING AND ADMINISTRATION, AND EVALUATING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, AND
00:36:17PREPARING YOUNGER GENERATIONS FOR LEADERSHIP.
00:36:21IN CONTRAST, TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS CAN HELP
00:36:25UNIVERSITIES UNDERSTAND THE CULTURAL, MORAL AND HISTORICAL
00:36:28ENVIRONMENTS WITHIN WHICH AFRICAN SOCIETIES OPERATE.
00:36:32YOUNG SCHOLARSHIP WITHIN COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIP WITH
00:36:36COMMUNITY CAN BECOME DETACHED. TRADITION WITHOUT SCHOLARSHIP
00:36:39CAN BECOME VULNERABLE TO DISTORTION.
00:36:43WHEN THE TWO CORPORATE KNOWLEDGE BECOMES BOTH RIGOROUS AND
00:36:47SOCIALLY MEANINGFUL. LOVE. IT IS IN THIS SPIRIT THAT I
00:36:51BELIEVE HOWARD UNIVERSITY, GHANAIAN INSTITUTIONS AND
00:36:55TRADITIONAL THEORIES CAN BUILD A SERIOUS PROGRAM OF INTELLECTUAL
00:36:59COOPERATION. THERE IS ROOM FOR SUSTAINED COMPARATIVE RESEARCH INTO
00:37:02TRADITIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL ZIM CUSTOMARY LAW MEDIATION,
00:37:08RESTORATIVE JUSTICE, LAND GOVERNANCE, THE ROLE OF QUEEN
00:37:11MOTHERS, ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS TO WORSHIP AND COMMUNITY
00:37:15MOBILIZATION. YUP. THERE'S ROOM FOR A MAJOR PROGRAM
00:37:17OF DIGITAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION
00:37:20THAT CONNECTS ARCHIVES ORAL HISTORIES.
00:37:23ROYAL RECORDS, MANUSCRIPTS AND ENDANGERED CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE.
00:37:27THERE'S ROOM FOR STUDENT AND FACULTY AS CHANGES IN WHICH YOUNG PEOPLE ENCOUNTER AFRICAN
00:37:33SOCIETIES AND DIASPORA COMMUNITIES, NOT MERELY AS
00:37:35VISITORS, BUT AS LEARNERS AND CONTRIBUTORS.
00:37:40THERE'S ROOM FOR PROFESSIONAL PARTNERSHIP THAT LINK
00:37:43PHYSICIANS, LAWYERS, ENGINEERS, ACADEMICS, ARTISTS, HISTORIANS
00:37:47AND ENTREPRENEURS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS ACROSS THE AFRICAN
00:37:51WORLD. AND THERE'S ALSO ROOM FOR AN
00:37:54ENDURING HOWARD MASHATILE WORK THROUGH WHICH SCHOLARS AND
00:37:58TRADITIONALLY THIS MIGHT EXAMINE THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
00:38:01CONFRONTING GOVERNANCE, CULTURE
00:38:03AND FRONT AFRICAN DIASPORA RELATIONS. LOVE OBJECTIVE SHOULD NOT BE TO
00:38:09CELEBRATE ADHERENCE TO INSTITUTIONS ON CRITICALLY, BUT
00:38:11TO STUDY THEM SERIOUSLY.
00:38:13BECAUSE NEITHER MODERN INSTITUTIONS NOR TRADITIONAL
00:38:16INSTITUTIONS SHOULD FEAR EXAMINATION AND TRUTH
00:38:20STRENGTHENS INSTITUTIONS THAT
00:38:22SERVE TO SURVIVE JOB.
00:38:24I WISH TO FINALLY ADDRESS THE
00:38:27YOUNG PEOPLE PRESENT HERE AND THROUGH YOU YOUNG PEOPLE
00:38:31THROUGHOUT THE AFRICAN WORLD. YOU ARE HAS TO A HISTORY THAT
00:38:35CONTAINS BOTH EXTRAORDINARY SUFFERING AND EXTRAORDINARY
00:38:39ACHIEVEMENT. AND YOU HAVE INHERITED TECHNOLOGY POSSIBILITIES THAT
00:38:43EARLIER GENERATIONS COULD SCARCELY HAVE IMAGINED.
00:38:46WITHIN SECONDS, YOU CAN CONNECT ACCRA TO WASHINGTON.
00:38:49KUMASI WITH KINGSTON, LAGOS WITH
00:38:53LONDON AND JOHANNESBURG WITH TORONTO.
00:38:55BUT TECHNOLOGY CONNECTION IS NOT
00:38:57THE SAME AS HUMAN UNITY.
00:39:00UNITY REQUIRES KNOWLEDGE, TRUST,
00:39:04DISCIPLINE AND RESPONSIBILITY. DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO DEFINE
00:39:07AFRICA ENTIRELY.
00:39:09DO NOT ALLOW OTHERS OTHERS TO DEFINE AFRICA ENTIRELY FOR YOU.
00:39:15STUDY ITS HISTORY IN ITS COMPLEXITY.
00:39:17LEARN ITS LANGUAGES, EXAMINE ITS
00:39:21INSTITUTIONS, UNDERSTAND ITS ACHIEVEMENTS AND FAILURES, AND
00:39:24DO NOT UPROOT CULTURE ONLY
00:39:26THROUGH FASHION, MUSIC AND SOCIAL MEDIA.
00:39:31YOUNG.
00:39:37URBAN. URBAN VULNERABILITY ASPIRATIONS
00:39:40MAY BE HERITAGE REQUIRES DEEPER ENGAGEMENT.
00:39:43SO AT THE SAME TIME, YOU SHOULD
00:39:47ACCEPT, YOU SHOULD NOT ACCEPT
00:39:49EVERY INHERITOR PRACTICE WITHOUT QUESTION.
00:39:52YES, BECAUSE RESPECT FOR TRADITION DOES NOT REQUIRE
00:39:56INTELLECTUAL SILENCE. ASK QUESTIONS.
00:39:59INVESTIGATE CLAIMS. CHALLENGE INJUSTICE.
00:40:03PRESERVE WHAT IS VALUABLE.
00:40:08CORRECT. WHAT MUST BE CORRECTED AND NOT
00:40:11ADD TO THE INHERITANCE THROUGH YOUR OWN CREATIVITY.
00:40:14THE FUTURE OF AFRICAN CULTURE
00:40:17WILL NOT BE SECURED BY ELDERS ALONE.
00:40:19TO BE SECURED WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE DISCOVER WHEN THEY HEARD WITHIN
00:40:23THE INHERITANCE, INTELLECTUAL AND MORAL RESOURCES THAT HELP
00:40:26THEM CONFRONT THE PROBLEMS OF THEIR OWN GENERATION.
00:40:29SO YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN BEING MODERN AND
00:40:33BEING AFRICAN. YOU MAY BE A SCIENTIST,
00:40:37PHYSICIAN, ENGINEER, LAWYER,
00:40:40WHATEVER, SCHOLAR OF THE HIGHEST INTERNATIONAL STANDING AND
00:40:43REMAIN DEEPLY GROUNDED IN THE
00:40:45CULTURAL INHERITANCE FROM WHICH YOU EMERGED.
00:40:48JUST IN THE INDEED THE GREATEST
00:40:53CONTRIBUTION AFRICA COMMIT TO THE WORLD WILL NOT COME FROM
00:40:56IMITATING OTHERS PERFECTLY, BUT
00:40:59FROM PARTICIPATING CONFIDENTLY IN GLOBAL CIVILIZATION.
00:41:03WHY CONTRIBUTE IN KNOWLEDGE? YOU LOVE.
00:41:07INSTITUTION VALUES AND
00:41:09CREATIVITY THAT ARISE FROM OUR OWN HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE.
00:41:13JUST ENGLISH. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
00:41:16PERHAPS WHAT WE WE ULTIMATELY
00:41:18REQUIRE IS A NEW CONCEPTION OF GLOBAL AFRICA.
00:41:20RESPOND TO RESPONSIBILITY.
00:41:22NATIONAL CITIZENSHIP WILL REMAIN IMPORTANT.
00:41:26A GHANIAN REMAINS A GUN IN AN
00:41:28AFRICAN AMERICAN REMAINS AMERICAN.
00:41:31A JAMAICAN REMAINS JAMAICAN AND A BRAZILIAN OF AFRICAN DESCENT
00:41:35REMAINS BRAZILIAN.
00:41:37BEYOND THESE NATIONAL IDENTITIES, HOWEVER, THEY CAN
00:41:41EXIST A MORAL CONSCIENCE CONSCIOUS THAT RECOGNIZES A
00:41:44SHARED HISTORICAL CONNECTION AND SHARED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
00:41:49FUTURE THAT RESPONSIBILITY INCLUDES PRESERVING MEMORY,
00:41:54STRENGTHENING EDUCATION, OPPOSING RACISM, EXPANDING
00:41:59OPPORTUNITY, DEVELOPING AFRICAN INSTITUTIONS, PROMOTING ETHICAL
00:42:03INVESTMENT, SUPPORTING SCHOLARSHIPS AND DEFENDING HUMAN
00:42:05DIGNITY WHEREVER IT'S A THREATENED ZONE.
00:42:09SUCH UNITY MUST NEVER BECOME HOSTILITY TOWARDS OTHERS.
00:42:13THE SUFFERING CONTAINED WITHIN AFRICAN HISTORY SHOULD NOT TEACH
00:42:16US HATRED. IT SHOULD TEACH US JUSTICE.
00:42:20HISTORICAL HISTORY IN SHOEMAKER IS DEFENDERS OF DIGNITY.
00:42:24NOT ONLY FOR AFRICANS, BUT FOR HUMANITY.
00:42:27SO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GHANA, AFRICA AND THE GLOBAL
00:42:30AFRICAN DIASPORA MUST THEREFORE BE FOUNDED ON MORE THAN ANCESTRY
00:42:34ALONE. ANCESTRY TELLS THAT WE ARE CONNECTED.
00:42:38WHILE RESPONSIBILITY TELLS US THAT WE MUST DO WITH THAT
00:42:44CONNECTION, WHAT WE MUST DO WITH THAT CONNECTION, WE MUST MOVE
00:42:46FROM A HAITIAN OFFICES TO
00:42:48INDEPENDENT INSTITUTIONS, FROM
00:42:51SYMBOLIC EMBRACE TO INTELLECTUAL COOPERATION, FROM NOSTALGIA TO
00:42:56DEVELOPMENT, FROM THE LANGUAGE OF RETURN TO THE PRACTICE OF
00:42:59BELONGING, FROM REMEMBERING SHARED SUFFERING TO BUILDING
00:43:02SHARED STRENGTH FROM SET, FROM
00:43:05SENTIMENT TO STRUCTURE, FROM
00:43:07MEMORY TO RESPONSIBILITY, FROM
00:43:09CONNECTION TO COLLABORATION, AND FROM A SHARED PATH TOWARDS A
00:43:13DELIBERATELY CONSTRUCTED FUTURE ZONE.
00:43:20JOB THERE IS AN EYE CAM PROGRAM
00:43:24WHICH SEES WE HAVE GROWN.
00:43:26WE HAVE GROWN FROM IT, MEANING THAT WHEN A SINGLE TREE STANDS
00:43:31ALONE AGAINST A STORM, IT MAY FALL.
00:43:34SO THE STRENGTH OF THE FIRST LINE IS NOT IN THE ISOLATION OF ITS TREES.
00:43:37BUT IN THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG THEM, THEY ARE TRANSFORMED, IS
00:43:41DONE SEPARATELY, AND THEY ARE BRANCHES MAY GROW IN DIFFERENT
00:43:45DIRECTIONS, BUT BENEATH THE SOIL THE TRUTH STRENGTHEN THE SAME EARTH.
00:43:49SO IT IS WITH THE GLOBAL AFRICAN FAMILY.
00:43:52OUR NATIONS ARE DIFFERENT.
00:43:54HISTORIES ARE FOLLOWED.
00:43:56DIFFERENT PARTS ARE CULTURES OF
00:43:59LOVED INTO DIFFERENT SECTIONS, STANCES AND OUR EXPERIENCES ARE
00:44:02NOT IDENTICAL.
00:44:03SO FEATURES CAN BE STRENGTHENED
00:44:06THROUGH DELIBERATE COOPERATION. THAT'S ANOTHER PROBLEM.
00:44:11PROVERB AND SUBSEQUENT CATION, MEANING THAT ONE HAND CANNOT
00:44:14LIFT A HEAVY LOAD.
00:44:16JUMP THE WORK BEFORE US TO CREATE FOR ONE NATION.
00:44:19WHERE UNIVERSITY, ONE GOVERNMENT AND ONE TRADITIONAL INSTITUTION
00:44:24OR ONE GENERATION AFRICAN AND
00:44:26AFRICA CANNOT UNDERTAKE IT. WITHOUT DOUBT, ITS BEST FRIEND,
00:44:30THE DIASPORA CANNOT UNDERTAKE IT WITHOUT MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT
00:44:33WITH AFRICAN TRADITIONAL LEADERS OF CANNOT AND TICKET AND CANNOT
00:44:39UNDERTAKE IT WITHOUT SCHOLARS AND YOUNG PEOPLE AND INVESTORS
00:44:42CANNOT UNDERTAKE IT WITHOUT COMMUNITIES AND GOVERNMENTS
00:44:46ALONE CANNOT UNDERTAKE IT WITHOUT THE CONFIDENCE AND
00:44:50PARTICIPATION OF THE CITIZENS. WE MUST THEREFORE LIVE THE LAW
00:44:53TOGETHER. PRESERVING CULTURE, NOT BECAUSE
00:44:56WE ARE AFRAID OF THE FUTURE, BUT BECAUSE A PEOPLE WONDER
00:45:00SOMETIMES US CAN ENTER THE FUTURE WITH CONFIDENCE ZONES,
00:45:02STRENGTHENING GOVERNANCE NOT SIMPLY TO MAKE INSTITUTIONS MORE
00:45:06EFFICIENT, BUT TO MAKE AUTHORITY MORE ACCOUNTABLE, HUMANE, AND
00:45:10JUST, AND ENSURING THAT TRADITIONAL LEADERS REMAINS
00:45:13WORTHY OF RESPECT BY MAKING
00:45:15SERVICE, INTEGRITY, HARASSMENT, CIVILITY, THE FOUNDATIONS OF
00:45:20LEGITIMATE LOVE. LET US STRENGTHEN THE BOND BETWEEN GHANA AND THE GLOBAL
00:45:24AFRICAN DIASPORA, NOT MERELY THROUGH CEREMONIES AND
00:45:28DECLARATIONS, BUT THROUGH SCHOLARSHIP EDUCATION, INVESTMENT, CULTURAL
00:45:33PRESERVATION, SERVICE, ENTERPRISE HEALING AND ENDURING
00:45:36HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS.
00:45:38SO LET THE PALACE AND THE UNIVERSITY MEET NOT AS ROBOTS,
00:45:41BUT US AS PARTNERS IN THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE.
00:45:44AND LET AFRICA AND ITS DIASPORA MEET NOT SIMPLY AS PEOPLE
00:45:48REUNITED BY MEMORY, BUT AS
00:45:50PARTNERS COMMITTED TO BUILDING INSTITUTIONS THAT WOULD HAVE
00:45:54NEIGHBORS SO THAT OUR YOUNG
00:45:56PEOPLE INHERIT NOT ONLY THE STORIES OF WHAT OUR ANCESTORS
00:46:00ENDURED, BUT ALSO THE CONFIDENCE TO CREATE WHAT OUR ANCESTORS
00:46:03COULD NOT COULD ONLY IMAGINE. JUST LET THE MEMORY OF
00:46:07SEPARATION INSPIRE THE LABOR OF REUNION AND LET THE WISDOM OF
00:46:10THE PAST GUIDE US WHILE THE
00:46:12FUTURE REMAINS THE PRINCIPLE SUBJECT OF OUR WORK.
00:46:15JUDGE MAY HOWARD UNIVERSITY CONTINUED TO UPHOLD TRUTH
00:46:20SERVICE AND INTELLECTUAL COURAGE
00:46:22AND MADE THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN GHANA AND THE GLOBAL AFRICAN
00:46:26DIASPORA GROW FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH. MAY OUR TRADITIONS AND
00:46:28INSTITUTIONS REMAIN LIVING
00:46:30SOURCES OF WISDOM, RESPONSE, ABILITY AND UNITY.
00:46:34MAY THE GENERATIONS THAT COME AFTER US LOOK BACK THIS PERIOD
00:46:37AND SEE THAT WE DID MORE THAN
00:46:39SPEAK OF AFRICAN UNITY, WHO GAVE
00:46:41IT INSTITUTIONS?
00:46:44MAY THEY SAY THAT WE DID MORE THAN PRESERVE THE MEMORY OF OUR ANCESTORS AND NOT THE
00:46:49INHERITANCE? MAY THEY SAY THAT WHEN HISTORY ALLOWED OUR GENERATION TO
00:46:52RECONNECT THE AFRICAN WORLD, WE DID NOT. IT?
00:46:56JOB ALMIGHTY. GOD BLESS HOWARD UNIVERSITY.
00:46:58BLESS THE GLOBAL AFRICAN FAMILY.
00:47:00BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND BLESS THEIR
00:47:04POWERFUL GHANA AND BLESS US ALL.
00:47:06THANK YOU, BROTHER AND.
00:47:29JUST.
00:47:38JUST.
00:47:42JUST TO JUST.
00:47:47JUST, JUST. JUST, JUST. JUST.
00:47:51JUST TO. JUST. JUST.
00:47:56JUST. JUST. JUST. JUST.
00:48:02JUST. JUST. JUST.
00:48:07JUST. JUST. JUST.
00:48:20YOU'RE.
00:48:22YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO DO THAT TO DO.
00:48:26SAY, YO, YO.
00:48:32I BY.
00:48:37YEAH. ASANTE BY THE.
00:48:39OH, YEAH.
00:48:48YO. GOT RAPPERS.
00:48:53WHAT. YO, YO.
00:49:00THE GOOD I DON'T DO FOR THE
00:49:06LORD. GOOD GOD.
00:49:12HEY, I THOUGHT IF I COME GONNA FOR ONE YOU.
00:49:15I GOT TO HAVE YOUR WHINING THAT
00:49:18YO I'M JUST LIKE I'M READY FOR
00:49:22AUDIO DIED OVERALL.
00:49:31YO.
00:49:35WOW. YOU ALL WERE PROMISED AN
00:49:38ENLIGHTENING EVENING AND THAT IS
00:49:40EXACTLY WHAT WAS DELIVERED.
00:49:42YOUR MAJESTY.
00:49:51YOU. YOU UNDERSCORED THE CRITICAL
00:49:54IMPORTANCE OF ACCOUNTABLE POLITY
00:49:57AS IT IS RELATED TO GOVERNANCE.
00:49:59A KEY TAKEAWAY FOR ME WAS WHEN
00:50:01YOU TALKED ABOUT WISDOM BEING
00:50:03SHARED, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT
00:50:06HAPPENS ON CAMPUS AT B H U AND
00:50:11WE ARE. SO IT'S ONLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR
00:50:14PRESENCE HERE THIS EVENING.
00:50:16THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR IMPARTING SUCH WISDOM.
00:50:20BEFORE WE DEPART, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS WE WANT TO GIVE YOU. FIRST, AND WE KNOW THAT A
00:50:26REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE KINGDOM WILL COME FIRST.
00:50:29WE HAVE OUR PRO BOAST WHO WANTS
00:50:31TO SHARE SOMETHING BEFORE WE
00:50:34CLOSE AND THEN WE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY TWO OTHER OF OUR
00:50:37FELLOW BLACK STARS.
00:50:44BUT ROOM FOR WE KNOW IT HAS BEEN
00:50:49SAID THAT THE MOST VALUABLE
00:50:51THING THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO EACH
00:50:53OF US IS OUR SPIRIT TO CONNECT WITH HIM.
00:50:57BUT ASIDE FROM THAT, THE NEXT MOST VALUABLE THING THAT HE IS
00:51:01GIVEN EACH OF US IS TIME.
00:51:03AND SO ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE HOWARD UNIVERSITY, WE WANT TO
00:51:07GIVE YOU THIS GIFT OF A HOWARD UNIVERSITY CLOCK WHICH WILL
00:51:13MEMORIALIZE THE TIME THAT YOU HAVE SPENT WITH US THIS EVENING.
00:51:15THANK YOU.
00:51:31THANK YOU SO MUCH, PROVOST.
00:51:34NEXT, WE HAVE CONGRESS.
00:51:37SIMON GAME OF HOOPS PROUDLY
00:51:39REPRESENTS RHODE ISLAND'S FIRST
00:51:41CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, BUT HE
00:51:43ALSO REPRESENTS GHANA.
00:51:47HE IS A LIFELONG PUBLIC SERVANT,
00:51:52A DEAR FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE OF MINE.
00:51:54HE SERVED IN THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE AND THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE,
00:51:58AND HE UNDERSTANDS THE CRITICAL
00:52:00IMPORTANCE OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS LIKE NO OTHER
00:52:05CONGRESSMAN. PLEASE JOIN US.
00:52:12YOUR MAJESTY, THAT WAS A REMARKABLE ADDRESS.
00:52:14I'M SO HUMBLED, PROUD AND HONORED TO BE HERE WITH YOU.
00:52:19I COME TO YOU AS A MEMBER OF THE
00:52:21CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS.
00:52:26REPRESENT.
00:52:28AND AS A VOICE FOR BLACK
00:52:32AMERICANS. WE'RE ALSO A VOICE FOR BLACK
00:52:36PEOPLE, PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT AROUND THE WORLD.
00:52:39AND IN THAT CAPACITY, I'M PROUD
00:52:42TO JOIN, BUT ALSO PROUD TO JOIN
00:52:44AS A PROUD GHANAIAN WITH ASHANTI
00:52:49ROOTS.
00:52:51AND SO I WANT TO PRESENT THIS
00:52:55CERTIFICATE OF SPECIAL RECOGNITION.
00:52:58THIS PROCLAMATION TO HIS MAJESTY, THE TOMB FOR HIMSELF TO
00:53:02TO THE SECOND, THE ASHANTI HENNIE. IN RECOGNITION OF YOUR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE
00:53:06PEOPLE OF GHANA AND YOUR ENDURING COMMITMENT TO UNITY,
00:53:10PROGRESS AND STRENGTHENING CONNECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE GLOBAL DIASPORA.
00:53:14THANK YOU FOR EMBODYING A
00:53:16TRADITION OF SERVICE THAT REACHES ACROSS GENERATIONS AND
00:53:20BORDERS THROUGH PHILANTHROPY, CULTURE, STEWARDSHIP AND COLLABORATION.
00:53:24YOU HAVE UPLIFTED LIVES AND
00:53:26FOSTERED A LASTING SENSE OF CONNECTION AMONG GHANAIANS
00:53:31THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE I
00:53:34REPRESENT IN RHODE ISLAND'S FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT AND ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRETY OF THE
00:53:39CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS, I EXTEND MY HEARTFELT APPRECIATION
00:53:42AND BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUE
00:53:44FOOD SUCCESS AND PROSPERITY.
00:53:46PROGRESS FOR ALL OF US, AND
00:53:48ESPECIALLY FOR YOU AS YOU CARRY ON YOUR GREAT WORK.
00:53:52THANK YOU FOR.
00:54:07AND LAST.
00:54:18IN AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT
00:54:20LEAST, IS MY ADOPTED SON, THE
00:54:22NEW PRESIDENT OF THE GHANAIAN
00:54:26STUDENT UNION, CHRIS YAO.
00:54:29JIM APL.
00:54:41YOU ALL.
00:54:49HE IS A DEAN'S LIST STUDENT HERE
00:54:52AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY.
00:54:55HE TOO IS A FANCY AND HE IS THE
00:55:0017TH HOWARD UNIVERSITY.
00:55:03MR. AFRICAN STUDENT, A
00:55:06ASSOCIATION AND HE HAS BEEN THE
00:55:09PERFECT PARTNER IN WORKING ON THIS EVENT.
00:55:11SO, SON, PLEASE DO YOUR
00:55:16PRESENTATION.
00:55:18I'LL GO.
00:55:22I'LL GO.
00:55:26GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS CHRIS APPIAH, A
00:55:29RISING JUNIOR POLITICAL SCIENCE AND CRIMINOLOGY.
00:55:32DOUBLE MAJOR FROM QUEENS, NEW YORK, BY WAY OF COMISAR, GHANA.
00:55:35AND I CURRENTLY SAY. AND I CURRENTLY HAVE THE
00:55:41OPPORTUNITY TO GO SERVING AS THE CURRENT 2026 TO 2027. GHANAIANS JUNIOR UNION PRESIDENT
00:55:46AS WELL.
00:55:49YOUR MAJESTY, AS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE ASANTE TRIBE AND A
00:55:53SITTING PRESIDENT OF THE HOWARD UNIVERSITY, GHANA STUDENT UNION,
00:55:56IT IS TRULY AN HONOR TO PRESENT TO YOU THIS GIVE ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE GHC.
00:56:00IT SYMBOLIZES THE UNITY, PRIDE AND COMMITMENT WE SHARE AS
00:56:04GHANAIAN STUDENTS AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY WHO STRIVE TO
00:56:07CULTIVATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE CAN BUILD MEANINGFUL RELATIONS AND SUPPORT THE OVERALL GROWTH OF THE GHANAIAN
00:56:12COMMUNITY. HERE IN D.C., WE CONSISTENTLY SEEK TO SHARE AND CELEBRATE THE
00:56:16RICHNESS OF GHANAIAN CULTURE ON CAMPUS AND WITH THE BROADER WASHINGTON DC ENVIRONMENT.
00:56:21AS WELL TOO. YOUR PRESENCE HERE TODAY IS A POWERFUL REMINDER OF THE VERY
00:56:25VALUES WE STRIVE TO UPHOLD HERE AT AMERICA.
00:56:27AND IN EVERY ROOM WE ENTER AGAIN.
00:56:30A TOMB FOR NANA OSEI TUTU, THE SECOND AKWAABA.
00:56:33AND YET OUR CITY.
00:56:58ON BEHALF OF ALL FOUR, I WOULD
00:57:01LIKE TO HAND AND THE DELEGATION
00:57:07I STAND TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU
00:57:09FOR THE WONDERFUL PRESENCE THAT
00:57:11YOU HAVE GIVEN US IN THIS AS A
00:57:15LAST MEMENTO OF OUR VISIT TO
00:57:17HARVARD UNIVERSITY AND IS GOING
00:57:20TO MARK THE BEGINNINGS OF A LONG
00:57:24STANDING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MENTORSHIP PALACE AND HOWARD
00:57:29UNIVERSITY.
00:57:37LADY YES. THE KEY TAKE AWAY THAT HE HAD
00:57:41FROM WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE YOUNG, PROFOUND.
00:57:43AND I THINK THE KEY TAKEAWAY THAT WE ALSO HAVE IS THE AFRICAN
00:57:48NESS OF OUR DIVERSITY AND
00:57:52INITIAL APPEARANCE WILL DO EVERYTHING IN ITS POWER TO
00:57:54ENSURE THE CONTINUITY OF THIS AFRICANNESS.
00:57:57AND I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A
00:57:59RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIP FROM THE BLESSED DEMENTIA.
00:58:02SO THAT IN THE LONG RUN IN THE
00:58:05SUBCONTINENT, SABBAH DOESN'T GO THERE. HOW COME?
00:58:08AND THEN GOING AND COMING MIX THE CLOTH WEAVING MORE PERFECT.
00:58:12THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
00:58:17NOW.
00:58:21WHAT ANY LIGHTNING EVENING WE
00:58:25HAVE HAD. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR
00:58:28COMING ONE MORE TIME ON BEHALF OF THE MILLENNIUM EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION.
00:58:32AND ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY,
00:58:35DR. HOPE WILL JUST THANK THE SPONSORS OF THE EVENING.
00:58:39AND WE WILL.
00:58:42LEAVE UNITED ENERGIZED AND READY
00:58:46TO DO THE HARD WORK OF ENSURING THAT WE ARE ALL GLOBALLY UNITED
00:58:50AS AFRICAN PEOPLE.
00:58:56THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN
00:58:58PARTNERSHIP IN BRINGING THIS EVENT TO FRUITION.
00:59:02MY NAME IS DR. TANIA HOPE.
00:59:04I AM THE ASSISTANT PROVOST FOR
00:59:06INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS AND THE
00:59:09EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE RALPH J. BUNCHE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS CENTER HERE AT HOWARD
00:59:13UNIVERSITY. AND ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY,
00:59:16I THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TONIGHT. AND I WOULD LIKE TO ESPECIALLY
00:59:19THANK MY COLLEAGUES FROM THE
00:59:23CENTER FOR AFRICAN STUDIES, THE
00:59:25DEPARTMENT OF AFRICAN STUDIES. TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
00:59:29THE DEPARTMENT OF AFRO-AMERICAN
00:59:31STUDIES THE MARYLAND SPINGARN
00:59:33RESEARCH CENTER.
00:59:37THE GHANAIAN STUDENT UNION.
00:59:40THE RALPH BUNCHE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS CENTER, AND MY
00:59:44COLLEAGUES THERE IN PARTICULAR. THANK YOU.
00:59:46AND THE OFFICE OF THE PROVOST. THIS WAS A JOINT EFFORT, A
00:59:51COMMUNITY EFFORT. AND WE'RE SO GLAD THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SHARE THIS EVENING
00:59:55WITH US. THANK YOU TO YOUR MAJESTY FOR JOINING US. IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE.
00:59:59AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOME YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
01:00:15WHAT A PROFOUND LECTURE.
01:00:20AND I HOPE THAT EVERY ONE OF US TOOK NOTES ON OUR PHONES, ON
01:00:23PAPERS, BECAUSE I HAD TWO THINGS
01:00:26TO CROW AND QUADE AND T AND
01:00:32QUADE. AND ALSO, WISDOM IS SHARED.
01:00:34IT DOESN'T RESIDE IN THE HEAD OF ONE.
01:00:36AND I CALL THAT TO MARGIN OF OUR
01:00:41WISDOM. WELL, LET US SKILL EVERY PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE.
01:00:45NANA, THANK YOU FOR BEING STILL IN US WISDOM TODAY.
01:00:49HE DESERVES A BIGGER ROUND OF
01:00:54APPLAUSE.
01:00:59AND FOR YOUR VISIT TO DEMENTIA,
01:01:02WHICH I KNOW ARE YOUR BOOKING.
01:01:04BUT BEFORE THAT YOU HAVE TO JOIN
01:01:08US AT BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY ON COMING SUNDAY FOR ACCESS.
01:01:12SEE DI CECI, ORQUESTA DI CECI.
01:01:17AND WHEN YOU COME, THERE'S ONE THING YOU NEED TO KNOW. PLEASE SAY IT AFTER ME. PIANO.
01:01:23PIANO. NO, NO, NO PIANO.
01:01:26UH HUH.
01:01:28CIRCLE TO ALI UPON OUR GROUND.
01:01:34AFTER I GO TO NASA. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE BE
01:01:40UPSTANDING.
01:01:49AND.
01:01:55ALL OUR STAFF AT LEAST GLAD
01:02:00AWAY.
01:03:14STAYING INFORMED IS ESSENTIAL. THE C-SPAN SHOP HAS THE APPAREL
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01:03:19PREMIUM T-SHIRT, HATS, AND DRINKWARE.
01:03:23EVERY DAY FAVORITES FOR THOSE PASSIONATE ABOUT POLITICS THROUGH C-SPAN.
01:03:26THERE'S SOMETHING FOR EVERY C-SPAN FAN, AND EVERY PURCHASE
01:03:30HELPS SUPPORT OUR NONPROFIT OPERATIONS.
01:03:33SHOP NOW OR ANYTIME ONLINE AT C-SPAN SHOP.ORG.
01:03:37GEAR UP FOR ENGAGEMENT.
01:03:46DEMOCRACY IS ALWAYS AN UNFINISHED CREATION.
01:03:50DEMOCRACY IS WORTH DYING FOR. DEMOCRACY BELONGS TO US ALL.
01:03:53WE ARE HERE IN THE SANCTUARY OF DEMOCRACY.
01:03:57GREAT RESPONSIBILITIES FALL ONCE
01:03:59AGAIN TO THE GREAT DEMOCRACIES. AMERICAN DEMOCRACY IS BIGGER
01:04:03THAN ANY ONE PERSON.
01:04:03FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY MUST BE
01:04:07CONSTANTLY GUARDED AND PROTECT IT.
01:04:10WE ARE STILL AT OUR CORE, A DEMOCRACY. THIS IS ALSO A MASSIVE VICTORY
01:04:15FOR DEMOCRACY AND FOR FREEDOM.
01:04:24THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO LISTEN TO C-SPAN RADIO.
01:04:28ANY TIME, ANYWHERE IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. AREA. LISTEN, ON 90.1 FM.
01:04:32USE OUR FREE C-SPAN NOW APP OR
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01:04:42AND ON YOUR SMART SPEAKER BY SIMPLY SAYING PLAY C-SPAN RADIO.
01:04:46HERE ARE LIVE CALL IN PROGRAM WASHINGTON JOURNAL DAILY AT 7 P.M. EASTERN.
01:04:50LISTEN TO HOUSE AND SENATE PROCEEDINGS COMMITTEE HEARINGS, NEWS CONFERENCES, AND OTHER