The Department of History at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in conjunction with the United States embassy has mounted a month long photo exhibition at the late John Evans Atta- Mills library near the Cape Coast Castle.
The exhibition was put together through the initiative of a Fulbright scholar from the Miami state university; Prof. Edmund Abaka. It was on the theme “Ties that Bind: Root and Routes of Ghana- US Relation, a 75 year Retrospective-1930-2017.”
The photo exhibition is to provide a retrospective look at the relationship between Ghana and the United States of America for the past 75 years.
It is also looking at the period where a lot of African Americans visited Ghana at the instance of the first president Dr Kwame Nkrumah to help in nation building.
Addressing the people, the vice chancellor of UCC whose speech was read on his behalf by the Provost of College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Prof. L. K. Sam-Amoah said Ghana had had a strong relationship with the US for a long time and had even hosted three presidents of America namely Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama while they were in office.
“UCC has similar connection since both countries have long history and the exhibition seeks to trace that,” he added.
The Provost of College of Humanities and Legal Studies, Prof. Dora Edu- Buandoh in her welcome address said the college was always ready to collaborate with its external public adding that the exhibition provided an avenue for both diplomacy and governance.
Prof. Edu-Buandoh said she was happy that the first academic program was being held at the library since its official opening by the former president John Dramani Mahama about a year ago.
The head of department of history, Prof. Kwame Osei Kwarteng lauded the ingenuity of Prof. Edmund Abaka saying he had brought manifold advantage to the department and had put the university on a high pedestal.
Delivering the keynote address, a Fulbright specialist Prof. Emerita of Art, Assistant Provost at the Pennsylvania State University, Dr Grace Hampton said both Africans on the continent and Africa Americans came from the same source but with time they got spread to other places.
Dr Hampton noted that the beauty and fashion in Africa had influenced how Americans especially, their women dress.
From Sarah Afful, Cape Coast