Ghana granted citizenship to over 100 African Americans as part of Year of Return

As Osibisa’s “Welcome Home” played in the background, 100 African-Americans and 26 Afro-Caribbeans, dressed in colorful traditional costumes, became Ghana’s newest citizens.

The oath of allegiance was administered by a judge in a ceremony at Jubilee House, the seat of government. The ceremony is the biggest highlight as Ghana marks 2019 as the Year of Return. One after the other, the new citizens took turns to shake hands with their president and went on to collect their citizenship certificates.

“On behalf of the government and people of Ghana, I congratulate you once again on resuming your identity as Ghanaians,” President Nana Akufo-Addo said in a speech on Wednesday, Nov. 27.

As Quartz Africa has previously reported, throughout 2019, Ghana has been hosting a raft of activities, at home and abroad, to encourage the descendants of those who were forcibly sent away to return. In June, the president embarked on a five-nation tour of the Caribbean to promote the initiative.

“We recognize our unique position as the location for 75% of the slave dungeons built on the west coast of Africa through which the slaves were transported. That is why we had a responsibility to extend the hand of welcome, back home to Africans in the diaspora,” the president added in his speech.

“The most valuable possession that was taken away from us was our identity and our connection; it was like severing the umbilical cord… But tonight, our identity, the dignity, the pride that has been absent is restored here,” Rabbi Kohain, who spoke on behalf of the new citizens said.

Aside from sentimental reasons, the return of the African diaspora is economically pragmatic for Ghana. Earlier this year, the government waived visa requirements for some countries and slashed the cost of a visa on arrival in half in hopes that heritage tourism will bring in much-needed revenue.

About 500,000 tourists are expected to visit Ghana during the Year of Return; up from the 380,000 that visited in 2018. Businesses are eagerly anticipating an influx of visitors over the festive season with the Afro Nation and Afrochella festivals expected to attract thousands of young diasporan Africans. In the US this year, Ghana has been heralded as a major end-of-year vacation destination among some African American celebrities, black college alumni organizations and similar groups.

[SOURCE: QUARTZ AFRICA]

BET Networks to Broadcast the 51st NAACP Image Awards Live on February 22, 2020

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The NAACP and BET Networks announced a broadcast partnership to air the 51st NAACP Image Awards. The telecast will take place from Pasadena, California and will air on BET Networks for the first time ever. The announcement was made today by NAACP National Board of Directors Chairman Leon W. Russell, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson, President of BET Networks Scott Mills and Executive Vice-President, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy Connie Orlando. The NAACP Image Awards is the preeminent event celebrating the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature, and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.

“We’re proud to partner with BET Networks to showcase the incredible breadth of Black excellence in television, film, music, and literature, and to bring awareness to the social justice and economic empowerment work of the NAACP,” said Johnson. “Through its diverse platforms, BET delivers culturally enriching and entertaining content to a wide and multigenerational audience. As we head into a critical 2020 election and Census, the collaboration with BET will be critical to reaching our shared communities.”

“The NAACP is vitally important, and BET Networks shares the organization’s commitment to our community and social impact,” added Mills. “With the NAACP’s half-century of history acknowledging the achievements of African Americans across entertainment and activism, this partnership allows BET to further our mission to entertain, engage and empower our viewers by delivering this cultural pillar to the communities we serve. We’re thrilled to welcome the NAACP Image Awards home to BET.”

Karen Boykin-Towns, NAACP National Board of Directors Vice-Chairman is the newly appointed Chairman of the NAACP Image Awards Planning Committee and will provide strategic guidance and leadership. Eris Sims, Chief of Staff will oversee all NAACP Image Awards events and activities.

“We are excited that two storied organizations, NAACP and BET, are partnering to cultivate innovative approaches to our work and to deliver a transformative experience that inspires and empowers the Black community. This is a natural partnership and one which aligns with our strategic focus,” said Boykin-Towns. “We are confident that the NAACP Image Awards will continue to grow in both impact and legacy.”

One of the most iconic annual celebrations of black excellence, the NAACP Image Awards draws a crowd of the biggest and brightest stars in Hollywood. Previous years attendees include Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Taraji P. Henson, Viola Davis, Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington, Anthony Anderson, Sterling K. Brown, Mandy Moore, Halle Berry, Common, Dwayne Johnson, Steve Harvey, Audra Day, John Legend, Lena Waithe, Tracee Ellis Ross, David Oyelowo, Laverne Cox, Octavia Spencer, Issa Rae, Trevor Noah, Terry Crews, Yara Shahidi, Danai Gurira, Jacob Latimore, Jay Pharoah, Jemele Hill, Josh Gad, Loretta Devine, Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Meta Golding, Michael Smith, Tyler James Williams, Ava DuVernay, Chadwick Boseman, and many more.

“It is our honor to partner with the NAACP as the exclusive broadcast partner of the Image Awards, one of the most influential Award Shows in the black community,” said Orlando. “We will celebrate and acknowledge the excellence and achievements of African-Americans in television, music, arts and give special recognition to the artists that have thrilled us and shaped the past the year in black culture. As we head into our 40th anniversary, it is only right to start off 2020 with this monumental partnership and bring the legacy of NAACP Image Awards to BET.”

New Episodes of The Proud Family Are Coming to Disney Plus

The Proud Family is coming back for more wacky adventures.

The beloved animated sitcom, which aired on Disney Channel from 2001-2005, is bringing new episodes in 2020 — according to Jo Marie Payton, who played Suga Mama Proud on the series.

Payton, 69, broke the news on Wednesday during an interview on Strahan, Sara & Keke after cohost Keke Palmer asked the actress if she was anything like her sassy character.

“Yeah,” said Payton, which earned laughs from the audience. “Suga Mama’s large and in charge, that’s all I got to say. Except for, Suga Mama will be doing some new episodes come February.”

Payton then confirmed to Palmer that the new episodes would be airing on Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+ , which debuted earlier this month.

[SOURCE: YAHOO]

Obama's warning to 2020 Democratic candidates

Former President Barack Obama urges the field of Democratic presidential hopefuls to "pay some attention to where voters actually are," warning them about going so far on certain policies that they become out of step with voters.

Wanjiku Gatheru Named University of Connecticut’s First Rhodes Scholar

Wanjiku (Wawa) Gatheru, a highly accomplished student leader whose academic achievements have garnered national recognition, has been selected as the University of Connecticut’s first Rhodes Scholar.

Gatheru ’20 (CAHNR), a senior majoring in environmental studies with minors in global studies and urban and community studies, is among 32 people nationwide elected to the American Rhodes Scholar Class of 2020 to continue postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford in England.

The highly prestigious program counts presidents, ambassadors, business leaders, and many other prominent Americans among its alumni, and is among the world’s most selective academic programs. It announced its 2020 class late Saturday, making special note of Gatheru’s achievement as UConn’s first Rhodes Scholar.

“As I reflect on my journey, it is extremely clear to me that my accomplishments – my story – is not my own,” she said Sunday. “I stand on the sturdy shoulders of the many people that have supported me along the way. My family, my mentors, and friends. The Rhodes application is particularly strenuous, with a total of eight letters of recommendation required. So I quite literally would have not been in this position if I didn’t have professors and mentors who believed in me. And I am so thankful for them.”

Gatheru’s academic and service endeavors had been widely recognized even before the Rhodes Scholar announcement. She was a 2019 Truman Scholar and a 2019 Udall Scholar, the first student in UConn’s history to win those illustrious honors in the same year. She has also received several other prominent plaudits during her time as a UConn student, including the McCullough Leadership award, the University’s highest student leadership award.

“Wawa is a rare talent who in her three years at UConn has built a legacy that will endure long after she has graduated,” President Thomas C. Katsouleas said. “She has demonstrated not only a superior intellect, but a depth of character and an unbridled energy that compel her to take action. In addition to being academically gifted, she has played a leading role on critical issues, including environmental sustainability, the inclusiveness of our environment, and food insecurity on our campuses and in our state.

“Please join me in congratulating Wawa and in wishing her all the best during her time studying at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar,” he said in an announcement about her honor to the UConn community. “We are incredibly happy for her and so proud that she is a Husky!”

On campus, Gatheru also served as vice president of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and as the student co-chair of the 2019 University-wide Metanoia, pursuing the theme of “Youth for Change.”

As co-founder of the UConn Access to Food Effort (UCAFE), she helped launch the first assessment of food insecurity on a public institution of higher education in the state. UCAFE’s research has since been cited by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and referenced in the creation of both state and federal legislation.

Gatheru is a 2018 UC Santa Cruz Doris Duke Conservation Scholar and a 2018 Newman Civic Fellow, and is motivated to connect grassroots movements to institutions of power. She was a lead organizer in Connecticut’s first Youth Climate Lobby Day, a United Nations Global Health Fellow, a delegate at the 2017 U.N. Climate Change Discussions, a founding member of the President’s Council on Race and Diversity at UConn, and played a critical role in the successful implementation of UConn’s environmental literacy general education requirement.

Read more about Wawa here: https://today.uconn.edu/2019/11/student-leader-wanjiku-wawa-gatheru-named-uconns-first-rhodes-scholar/