• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
AFRIPOL

AFRIPOL

en English
ar Arabiczh-CN Chinese (Simplified)nl Dutchen Englishfr Frenchde Germanit Italianpt Portugueseru Russianes Spanish
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Mission Statement
  • Articles
  • Book Review
  • Archive
  • Contact Us

Hollywood Movie star Dijmon Hounsou Kicks Off New Initiative to Help Descendants of Africa Trace Back Their Roots

September 19, 2022 by AFRIPOL Leave a Comment

By Alexandra Jane THE ROOTS

After a visit to his home of Benin on the coast of West Africa, actor Dijmon Hounsou reflected on the part it played in the transatlantic slave trade. Twenty five years ago, Hounsou starred in Steven Spielberg box office hit, Amistad, the story of the Spanish slave ship of the same name whose captors managed to take control of the boat. The now 58 year old tells The Washington Post that his participation in the film helped to educate him further on the history of African people, and how the slave trade resulted in the loss of their ancestry of its descendants.

“We are talking about a severe identity issue,” Hounsou said. “If you don’t know where you come from, you sure don’t know who you are.”

In 2019, this realization prompted the former model to launch the Dijmon Hounsou Foundation on December 2nd, the day that the United Nations marks as the International Day of the Abolition of Slavery. One of the chief goals of the foundation is to help those of African ancestry trace back their roots to the continent. The foundation is also heavily focused on putting a stop to modern day slavery and human trafficking.

This past Saturday marked an important milestone for the Dijmon Hounsou foundation as the inaugural Run Richmond 16:19 took place over three continents including Richmond, Virginia, Liverpool, England, and Ouidah, West Africa. The running and concert event aimed to celebrate diversity while connecting the past to the present and future. Running participants chose from either a 6.19 mile, or 16.19 kilometer distance, with each route including interactive historical landmarks along the way.

“In Richmond, we are fortunate to have a number of African American landmarks or landmarks related to African American history and culture,” said Monroe Harris, board president and acting executive director of the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia. “But the people that are coming together probably would not be doing so if it weren’t for an event such as this. You are educating people who may not be aware of some of the accomplishments of Black people in culture and history — it increases our awareness and understanding of each other, which if we have that, it makes the world a better place.”

Hounsou, who ran the 6.19 mile himself, spoke to The Washington Post about the impact he anticipated the event having.

“I’m hoping it will bring a certain journey of experiencing 400 years of Black history, where you can touch and feel,” he said.

“We are trying to champion the idea of unity in diversity,” Hounsou says. “The purpose is all about healing. We’re at a historical moment in time to acknowledge that Black history is American history. It’s about the Afro-descendents of this world to feel the power of their history and to have a bit of knowledge about who they are, what they mean in this world and what they accomplished over time.”

Filed Under: Articles, Strategic Research & Analysis

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

More to See

US Janet Yellen in Senegal: Woos Africa as US Vies With China, Russia for Clout

January 19, 2023 By AFRIPOL

African Igbo Cultural Dance From Enugu, Nigeria.

January 18, 2023 By AFRIPOL

RSS AllAfrica News: Latest

  • Ghana: Fire Razes Twin Storey Building At Kwadaso-Siloam C'nity
    [Ghanaian Times] Fire swept through a twin storey building in the Kwadaso-Siloam community in the Ashanti Region on Saturday morning, destroying items worth thousands of Ghana Cedis.
  • Ghana: $350,000 Stem Project Inaugurated in Accra
    [Ghanaian Times] The Alpha Beta Education Centre (ABEC) in Accra has launched a $350,000 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) project to provide free structured programmes and trainings for students and teachers.
  • Ghana: Forestry Commission Decries Rampant Wildfires Within Transitional Zones
    [Ghanaian Times] The Forestry Commission (FC) has expressed worried about the rampant spate of wildfires within the transitional zones of the country.
  • Ghana: Ex-President Mahama Advocates Reinstitution, Extension of Debt Service Initiative for Debt-Strapped Countries
    [Ghanaian Times] Former President John Mahama has advocated the reinstitution and extension of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) to afford Ghana and other debt-strapped countries some limited fiscal respite.
  • Nigeria: State House Will Lead Nigeria's Energy Transition Plan - Gambari
    [Leadership] Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari has declared that the State House will lead the way in keying into the global shift towards renewable energy choices by government institutions in line with Nigeria's Energy Transition Plan.
  • Ghana: Energy Commission to Begin Enforcement of 19 New Regulations On Electrical Appliances, Renewable Energy Products
    [Ghanaian Times] The Energy Commission, will this year, begin the enforcement of 19 new regulations on the importation and manufacture of electrical appliances and renewable energy products in the country.

Tags

Achebe Africa Anambra Boko Haram Buhari CBN Corona Virus Egypt Igbo IMF Inflation Jonathan Kenya Nigeria Okonjo Iweala Peter Obi Sanusi Senate Soludo South Africa Soyinka United States
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Archives

Footer

Africa Political and Economic Strategic Center, AFRIPOL is foremost a public policy center whose fundamental objective is to broaden the parameters of public policy debates in Africa. To advocate, promote and encourage free enterprise, democracy, sustainable green environment, human rights, conflict resolutions, transparency and probity in Africa.

Recent

  • Emmanuel Acho: Nigerian American stirs controversy for Saying He Doesn’t Have ‘Generational Trauma’ Like Black Americans because he was raised in a Nigerian Household
  • Tribunal Sacks duly elected Adeleke as Governor of Osun, Declares Oyetola as the Winner
  • Update: Peter Obi Can he Rescue Nigeria like Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew? Yes He Can!
  • Africa projected to outperform Globally in economic growth by AfDB Boss
  • Peter Obi/Datti makes History! The First Presidential Team to visit Boko Haram ravaged region of Southern Borno

Search

Tags

Achebe Africa Anambra Boko Haram Buhari CBN Corona Virus Egypt Igbo IMF Inflation Jonathan Kenya Nigeria Okonjo Iweala Peter Obi Sanusi Senate Soludo South Africa Soyinka United States

Copyright © 2023 · AFRIPOL