Black History Festival is a great opportunity for arts and culture players – Programmes Manager

• Posted on March 16, 2022March 16, 2022
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The maiden edition of Black History Festival (BHF) in USA which came off from February 21 to 28 in Washington DC, USA has become an eye opener for African diaspora about the scads of opportunities which exist in Africa including arts and culture players.

“The concept of the BHF is to celebrate ties between the USA and Africa. There is no doubt that Africa and the USA consume each other’s art and culture especially music” the Programmes Manager for BHF, Nana Kwesi Coomson stated. 

“Awards like BET has dedicated categories for ‘Best International Act – Africa’ which has been won by Sarkodie, Stonebwoy and other Ghanaian acts being nominated. Sarkodie recently won the newly introduced ‘Best International Flow’ which also attracted a lot of American Artistes to Ghana following his acceptance speech at the award. US Rappers like Jay Z, Rick Ross, Ludacris, Fabolous, and others have also performed in Ghana before so there is already a fertile soil in music to grow this on” Mr. Coomson added. 

“Arts and culture is broad so industry players like Artists, Poets, Sculptors, Musicians and those in the industry should take advantage of the Festival which will come off annually in the USA to display their artefacts and talents to the international audience” Programmes Manager added. 

The BHF is an opportunity for Africa to celebrate people of African descent while creating a bridge between Africans in the diaspora and Africans back home.

The festival aims to expose trade, investment and export opportunities as well as bring more diasporans home.

Amongst the Speakers at the maiden edition of BHF which was a hybrid type were AU Permanent Presentative to USA, Ambassador Hilda Suka-Mafudze, the Vice President of World Bank, Eastern and Southern Africa, Hafez Ghanem, Senior Presidential Advisor, Yaw Osaafo- Marfo, Deputy CEO of Ghana Freezones Authority, Mrs. Kate Djankwei Abbeo, Deputy Director of Diasporan Affairs, Nadia Adongo Musah, President and Vice President of OB Social and Video and other notable individuals.