The Presidential Special Envoy on Reparations at the Office of the President, Ambassador Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, has called for greater action to address the enduring inequalities created by slavery and colonialism, saying Emancipation must go beyond remembering the past to confronting the injustices that continue to affect Africa and its people.
Speaking at the 2026 Emancipation Day commemoration and Tribute to Ancestors wreath-laying ceremony at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra, Ambassador Spio-Garbrah said the end of physical slavery did not bring an end to the structures of inequality that were created through centuries of exploitation.
“Emancipation is not really about freedom from things. It’s also about freedom from the enduring structures of inequality that those chains created,” he said.
He said the millions of African men, women and children who were subjected to the transatlantic slave trade and colonial exploitation had contributed significantly to the wealth and development of countries around the world, while Africa continued to bear the economic, social and psychological consequences of those injustices.
According to him, the commemoration of Emancipation Day should therefore serve as a reminder that remembrance alone is insufficient if it does not inspire action to address the historical inequalities that continue to shape the lives of Africans and people of African descent.
“Today, remembrance is not enough. Memory must inspire action,” Ambassador Spio-Garbrah said.
He cited the United States as an example, arguing that the country’s economic development was built in part on the exploitation of enslaved Africans, whose labour was extracted for centuries without pay.
He said the wealth generated through the transatlantic slave trade and slavery contributed to the economic growth of countries that benefited from African labour, while the continent and its people continue to grapple with the consequences of that exploitation.
Ambassador Spio-Garbrah said the historical reality underscored the need for young people to be educated about the relationship between slavery, colonialism, wealth accumulation and the inequalities that persist today.
He said the global reparations movement was not about seeking charity or sympathy, but about pursuing truth, justice, restoration and shared human dignity.
“The global reparations movement is not the quest for charity or sympathy. It is a principled call for truth, for justice, for restoration, and for shared human dignity,” he said.
The Presidential Special Envoy said Ghana, under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama in his capacity as African Union Champion for Reparations, was committed to working with African countries and the African Diaspora in the Caribbean, North America and Europe to advance a united and evidence-based reparations agenda.
He said the agenda should promote healing, reconciliation and sustainable development while addressing the historical injustices that have contributed to Africa’s present development challenges.
Ambassador Spio-Garbrah also called for reparatory justice to include measures such as formal apologies, restitution, compensation, rehabilitation and guarantees that similar injustices would not be repeated.
He further advocated for the return of African cultural property and historical artefacts taken from the continent, saying the restoration of African heritage was essential to preserving historical truth and strengthening the identity and dignity of African people.
He said the theme of the 2026 Emancipation Day celebration, “Reconnecting Roots, Celebrating Freedom, Experience Ghana,” was particularly significant because of Ghana’s role as a gateway for members of the African Diaspora seeking to reconnect with their heritage.
Ambassador Spio-Garbrah said Africans in the Diaspora should be welcomed not merely as visitors but as members of one African family returning home to reconnect with their roots and participate in building a future based on justice, partnership and shared prosperity.
He urged the gathering to use the lessons of history to inspire action towards a more equitable future, saying the sacrifices of ancestors should not be allowed to become merely historical memories.
He called for a world where justice prevails over injustice, unity over division and hope over despair.
The commemoration formed part of a Tribute to Ancestors wreath-laying ceremony held at key heritage sites in Accra, including the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre, the George Padmore Library and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
The event brought together government officials, traditional authorities, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of the Panafest Foundation, members of the media and members of the African Diaspora.
Ambassador Spio-Garbrah’s remarks placed the question of reparations and historical inequality at the centre of the 2026 Emancipation Day observance, highlighting the need for the commemoration of freedom to be accompanied by concrete efforts to address the economic, social and structural inequalities inherited from slavery and colonialism.
