At the official launch of the Black Star Experience on Thursday, May 1, the President delivered a powerful speech connecting Ghana’s rich history to its future in tourism and Pan-African identity.
The Black Star Experience, he explained, is a multifaceted initiative that serves as the overarching “super dome” encompassing all aspects of Ghana’s tourism identity. Anchored at key historical monuments such as the Independence Square and the Independence Arch, the experience seeks to immortalize Ghana’s pivotal role in African liberation and unity.
The President emphasized the historical significance of the Independence Arch, constructed in 1957 to mark Ghana’s victory in gaining independence from colonial rule. Drawing parallels with world history, he said:
“In the past, Alexander the Great, Otto von Bismarck, Napoleon, all of them, when they won wars and achieved victories, an arch was built to commemorate that triumph. So when Kwame Nkrumah led us to independence in 1957, the Independence Arch was constructed to memorialize that great success.”
He noted that the inscription “AD 1957” atop the arch is a symbolic marker of this victory. “‘AD’ is a Latin term, Anno Domini, meaning ‘in the year of our Lord.’ The full phrase signifies that in 1957, after Christ, Ghana achieved a monumental success worth honoring.”
Expanding on the symbolism of the Black Star, the President reflected on Kwame Nkrumah’s Pan-African vision. Alongside historical figures like Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois, Nkrumah envisioned Ghana as the guiding light the Black Star of Africa, and its diaspora.
“Though the stars in the sky may appear white from afar, we know they shine for all. The Black Star represents Ghana, the first African nation to gain independence, a beacon of hope and pride for all Black people around the world.”
The President also addressed efforts in recent years to downplay Nkrumah’s
role in Ghana’s history:
“In the past eight years, there’s been a deliberate attempt to suppress the role Kwame Nkrumah played in gaining our independence. Indeed, he didn’t do it alone, but no matter how hard anyone tries, Nkrumah’s legacy has gone beyond our hands. He is a global icon.”
The Black Star Experience is set to become a transformative platform for cultural education, historical reflection, and national pride, reminding both Ghanaians and the world of Ghana’s enduring place as a leader in African liberation.
