A memorial organised by Ghana last Friday to remember the late George Floyd got a special mention during his funeral in the US.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Ghana received a standing ovation for the event,which received widespread condemnation locally.
Following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American, on May 25, 2020, there have been protests in several states and cities in the US.
Floyd died in Minneapolis, Minnesota after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed face down in the street; two other officers further restrained Floyd while a fourth prevented onlookers from intervening.
Several personalities, including celebrities in Ghana and the world over, have decried the incident calling for an end to racism.
In Ghana, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the Ghana Tourism Authority, Office of Diaspora Affairs (Office of The President), and the Diaspora African Forum joined forces to organise an event to remember George Floyd.
The event, which was held on Friday at the Diaspora African Forum (Dubois Centre) in Accra, was attended by some key government and creative industry personalities.
During George Floyd’s funeral Tuesday, the family of the murdered African-American expressed their gratitude to President Akufo-Addo and the people of Ghana for mourning with them.
CEO of Ivy Inc. Ivy McGregor appreciated Ghana’s solidarity with the family, saying “the family of George Floyd will like to acknowledge the…tribute from Akufo-Addo, the president of Ghana. Yesterday, during the memorial, a video produced by the people of Ghana was broadcast for thousands of mourners as they paid their final respects to Mr Floyd.”
As personalities at the funeral gave Ghana and the president a standing ovation, Ivy McGregor continued that “the family is honoured by President Akufo-Addo’s decision to have Mr Floyd’s name permanently mounted on the historic Sankofa wall at the Diaspora African Forum in the WEB Dubois Centre in Africa.”
She was happy that Ghana stands with them in the struggle “to change the status quo of racism and prejudice. The family is deeply moved by the generous act by the Ghanaian government.”
Source: 3news.com|Ghana