Never again should the world tolerate any form of enslavement – John Lewis
Congressman John Lewis, a renowned Civil Rights Movement Activist in the United States, has urged the world community to work towards ending injustices in the world.
This will also end the treachery of slave trade in any form in human race.
Congressman Lewis, the US Representative of Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District, popularly known as “the conscience of the US Congress”, said he was inspired by civil rights activists like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Junior, Mahatma Ghandi’s teachings and Ghana’s first President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah enabled him to fight against injustice and atrocities in the American society.
He noted that though the struggles put him in “necessary trouble”, which resulted in his over 40 arrests and imprisonment, it was a worthy cause that made America a better place to live.
“My philosophy is so simple when something is not right, not fair or not just, you have an obligation to say something or do something about it.
“We need to do all that we can to bring the world community together so that what happened here will never happen again in any place on this planet, we have a right to save our generation yet unborn,” he emphasised.
Congressman Lewis made the remarks on behalf of members of the US House of Representatives, who paid a courtesy call on Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, Paramount Chief of Oguaa Traditional Area at the Emintsimadze Palace, on Tuesday.
The Delegation was led by Ms Nancy Patricia Pelosi, Speaker of the House and the third most powerful person in the United States after President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
Other government officials who joined the US Congressional Delegation to the Chief’s palace included; Ms Stephanie S. Sullivan, the US Ambassador to Ghana, Mrs Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Kwamena Duncan, the Central Regional Minister, Mr Akwasi Agyemang, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority and Mr Ernest Arthur, the Metropolitan Chief Executive of Cape Coast.
Congressman Lewis, an Icon of the Congress, expressed delight for the presence of the Congressional Delegation in Ghana, and described their experiences at the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles as “unbelievable”, which exposed them to the perfidious realities of the slave trade.
He said though he first came to Ghana as a young boy in 1964, “But what I have experienced here today made me cry and I don’t think I have any tears of lap”.
He expressed disgust that the world and religious communities were so silent and unconcerned for the treachery of slave trade to linger on for a long time in human race.
Back in the United States in the early 1960s, he said, there was pervasive discrimination and violent attacks against the Blacks, but it took the boldness of civil rights activists like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Junior, Hosea Williams and others to fight the injustices in the American society.
“We studied the way of peace, the way of love and studied the philosophy against violence.
“Back in the United States, people could not sit together at the lunch camp, in a restaurant, hundreds and thousands of black people could not register to vote, but we changed that…now America is much better.
“We come here today to say thank you for your leadership, thank you for finding a way to get close,” he said.
“When I was growing up, I was seeing signs and hearing white man, coloured man, white woman, coloured woman…I will ask my mother, my father, my grandparents…why? And they said: “don’t get in trouble
“Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do…It’s so inspiring to see what you’re doing to build a new dawn and build a new world that we can all be very pleased and better for us, freedom at home and abroad,” Congressman Lewis stated.
Osabarimba Kwesi Atta, Omanhen of Ogua Traditional Area, welcomed the US Congressional Delegation to his palace and underlined the need to fight injustices in the world and prevent any form of imperialism in the world.
He entreated the African American Congress men and women to use their positions of authority to make strong resolution to make the world a better place to live and open a new chapter where everybody of any race was treated equally.
Speaker Pelosi presented a beautifully-designed bowl with the US Congress Seal to Osabarimba Kwesi Atta, as a symbolic invitation for him to visit the United States.
Other members of the Delegation include; Congressman James Clyburn, House Majority Whip, Congressman Bobby Rush, Member of the Energy and Commerce Committees, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Member of the Budget, Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Member of the Appropriation and Budget Committees and Congressman Hank Johnson, Member of the Judiciary, Transportation and Infrastructure Committees.
The rest are Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, Member of the Energy, Commerce and Homeland Security Committees, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, Member of the Agriculture, Education, Labour and House Administration Committees, Congresswoman Karen Bass, Member of the Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees and Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman IIhan Omar, Member of the Budget, Education Labour and Foreign Affairs Committees and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, Member of the Financial Services and Joint Economic Committees.
Source: GNA