Why George Floyd’s memorial service was held in Ghana – GTA Boss Explains

The Year of Return Committee in partnership with the African Union of Diasporan Forum last week laid wreaths in Accra in memory of George Floyd at the DuBois Centre in Accra.
This follows a petition sent to the U.S. Embassy on June 1 calling for the safety of members of the black community in the United States.
The ceremony, however, attracted mixed reactions from Ghanaians some asking the rationale behind ceremony in Ghana.
But speaking in a virtual discussion on the second edition of the GMA Webinar Series to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on the events and hospitality industries. Ghana Tourism Authority Boss explained that;
“This is something that has happened and Globally countries were demonstrating and its really would have been improper that a country that only a few months ago was inviting the African diaspora to come and be part of the return will look unconcerned, and so when we were approached by the diasporan Forum that let’s present a petition to the U.S. Embassy and then followed up with wreaths laid ceremony.”
“We all know since then, during the memorial service in Huston this was acknowledged publically and indeed the global audience knew that Ghana is the place to go if you are an African Diaspora. We had to do it because we needed to show solidarity to our brethren, our kings, and queens and because especially for who we are as a nation, being a pan-African nation and somebody who has had our president invite them to come to our country we couldn’t have look unconcerned,” he added.
On the back of this, during the funeral ceremony in Huston, Ghana and president Akufo-Addo got a special mention and a standing ovation during George Floyd’s funeral service.
The family of the murdered African-Americans expressed their gratitude to Akufo-Addo and the people of Ghana for mourning with them.
A resolution read by social impact leader and CEO of Ivy Inc. Ivy McGregor appreciated Ghana’s solidarity with the family.
She also expressed the family’s gratitude that Ghana stands with the struggle “to change the status quo of racism and prejudice.”
“The family is deeply moved by the generous act by the Ghanaian government,” she added.
Mr. Floyd was killed on May 25 at Minneapolis, Minnesota in the US.
He died after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds during an arrest.
After a video of the incident went viral, with Floyd crying “I can’t breathe,” anti-racial protests started from Minneapolis and quickly spread throughout the US and Europe.
All officers involved in the infamous arrest have been charged with murder and abetment of murder.
By: Joseph Nii Ankrah