Mayor Neal, Alabama Dignitaries, Togolese Ambassador, Limbiye Bariki, Juneteenth coordinators

and the Guest Delegation in front of the Booker T. Washington Statue, “Lifting the Veil of Ignorance”.

SUMMARY REPORT THE ALABAMA JUNETEENTH 2010

IN CELEBRATION OF

“THE FAMILY AFRICA”

HOST CITY TUSKEGEE, ALABAMA

HOST MAYOR

THE HONORABLE OMAR NEAL

The Press Release ALABAMA CELEBRATES JUNETEENTH 2010

WITH THE FAMILY AFRICA - JUNE 19TH - 24TH Alabama is days away from two significant events, one historical and the other monumental.

Historically, Juneteenth has been celebrated for nearly 150 years. It signifies the total abolition of slavery in

the United States of America since June 19, 1865. Monumentally, the Republic of Benin, West

Africa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs is sending 40+ high level Governmental Dignitaries, Ambassadors,

Mayors, Businesspeople and Representatives to Tuskegee.

The Honorable Omar Neal, Mayor of the City of Tuskegee and Diane Cameron, representing Robert

Battles of Africatown, USA, were invited to Benin as guests of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, May 2-May 9,

2010. In reciprocation, the delegation is coming to Alabama to share in the Juneteenth Celebration.

A large part of the discussion will be the preservation of heritage and culture and the institution of Distance

Learning Educational Programs between Benin, Alabama and other West African Students, beginning with

Tuskegee University. Mayor Neal is currently in communication with key individuals within the Education

arena to begin implementation. Mr. Richard Lohento, the General Director of AAT Travel Agency in Benin is

prepared to dialog with representatives from the Alabama Travel and Tourism sector on ways to encourage

travel to Alabama from Africa and vice-versa.

There already exists a natural bond and shared history between Alabama and Benin. In 1859,

the schooner, the Clotilda sailed from Mobile to Benin and illegally brought back 110 Africans for the

purpose of slavery. The descendants from that last voyage to bring enslaved Africans to America still reside

in the community called Africatown, USA, which is right outside of Mobile.

The Juneteenth Celebration will kick off in Tuskegee on Saturday, June 19th. Attorney Lateefah

Muhammad of Tuskegee, appointed as coordinator by Mayor Neal, has organized a stellar festival of

activities. The Celebration, held at the Tuskegee Municipal Complex, begins at 8:00 a.m. with vendors and

exhibitors displaying their wares and collections. There will be several exhibits of artifacts of slavery and

the Civil War, including a Buffalo Soldier and horse in full regalia.

Al Kindell and Abdullah Akbar with provide music both inside the municipal auditorium and on the grounds,

where the children will enjoy the fun of a moonwalk, cotton candy and popcorn. In addition, the Tuskegee

Celebration will honor the rich African heritage of dancing and drumming with the Nathifa Dance Company

of Birmingham, which precede the ceremonial part of the day that is from 10 a.m. until 12 noon.

The Rev. Adrian Boone of Tuskegee will pour libations and lead a call out to remember and pay tribute to

the ancestors. Following a welcome by Mayor Neal and a rendition of the Negro National Anthem by an

acapella group, Mrs. Robin Cabiness Banks, the great-granddaughter of Dr. Booker T. Washington,

Tuskegee’s premier educator and statesman, will give a short talk on the significance of Juneteenth and the

relationship established by her great-grandfather in 1900 with the country of Togo, West Africa, one of the

African Nations from which dignitaries will visit Tuskegee for this Celebration.

The festivities will include Gospel and Islamic performers, Toney’s Taekwondo Academy of Martial Artists,

poetry and spoken word recitations, rappers and lots of wholesome, down-home fun until 5

p.m.! Admission is free to the public.

After leaving the Municipal Complex at midday on the 19th, the delegation of guests will enjoy a luncheon at

the Gomillion Auditorium, prepared by Doris Harden Catering of Tuskegee, then later a tour of Tuskegee’s

historic sites and an invitational welcome reception at Tuskegee University Kellogg Hotel and Conference

Center at 7 p.m. An ecumenical service on Sunday the 20th at the Tuskegee University Chapel at 9:30 a.m.

will start the day for the Delegates, and later include roundtable discussions on various important topics of

interest before departing to Montgomery the following day.

The Tuskegee Juneteenth Celebration Committee includes, in addition to Mayor Neal and Committee

Coordinator Muhammad, Tuskegee City Manager Al Davis, Jamal Muhammad, Leon E. “Chief” Frazier,

Amir Abdul Al-Hakim, Norma Iyabode Jackson, Jolai Jenkins, Cameron Johnson, George Middleton,

Ronald Moss, Min. Jasper Norwood, Fard Rahman, Gladys and Rafiq Sabir, Tuskegee University SGA

Chief of Staff Yasmeen Salaam and Jesse Tatum.

On the 21st, the group will travel from Tuskegee by bus to Montgomery for meetings with Governmental

Officials, Mayors and a brief visit to Selma. They are seeking opportunities to meet with the Tourism,

Business & Cultural Community while in Montgomery and will continue on to Mobile for 2 days.

The 5-day symposium will include workshops on economics, tourism, education, culture, building

municipalities and trade. In Mobile, Battles has organized an Africatown Heritage Freedom Festival.

George Williams, Chairman of the Alabama Benin Forum in conjunction with Dr. Sharon Ingram will hold an

Economics and Business summit, Pastor Walter Bracy and First Baptist Church of Prichard will host an

awards banquet at The Sunlight District Auditorium, Makinde A. Gbolohan is organizing a tribute to the

Africatown descendants and Community Connections will oversee the conclusion of the event with a

reconciliation ceremony at Union Baptist Church June 23rd at 4:00pm. This is the same church built by the

Africatown community over 100 years ago.

The Alabama Delegation to Benin May 2ND – 9TH

On May 2, 2010 a delegation was sent from the State of Alabama to the Republic of Benin for a week

summit of exploratory meetings, discussions on economic initiatives, building municipalities, and

educational exchange programs. The head of the delegation was The Honorable Omar Neal, Mayor of the

City of Tuskegee, Alabama. The second person in the delegation was Diane Cameron, International

Cultural Consultant to Africatown and USA Artist in Residence to Benin. It is our feeling that the scope of

the visit was fulfilled and laid the groundwork for a fruitful continuum between Alabama and Benin.

Our delegation is aware of the shoulders in which we

stand upon. The late former Mayor of the City of

Prichard, Alabama, John H. Smith Laid the first building

block for the framework of partnership, camaraderie, and

understanding our the blood ties and shared history that

exists between both Alabama and Benin. A Historical

account of the little known event in history that

permanently sealed us together is enclosed at the end of

this document. At the end of this summary are snippets

from documents that contributed to the nucleus of our shared history.

The 2010 delegation to Benin was efficacious in engineering a

new vision and a fresh perspective to the 150 year relationship

between Benin and Alabama. Included in the index of this

report is a detailed account of the voyage of the schooner

Clotilde and its illegal voyage to the Dahomean shores, namely

Benin in 1859. Once in Benin, the Commander and his crew

returned to the shores of Alabama with approximately 110 kidnapped Africans for the purpose of slavery.

We appreciate the ramifications of this act, for it permanently bonded through blood-ties the histories of

Alabama and Benin.

It had been two years since the visitation exchange that occurred in 2008. The delegation came

to not only explore, but to research legal and technical procedures to continue to build cooperative ties

between Africa and the United States utilizing

Alabama as the gateway to US commerce.

These formal and informal channels provide for

dialogue and communications in order to foster

Culture, Trade, Development and Investment

opportunities between Benin and the United

States utilizing the facilities of the US African

Growth and Opportunities Act. Herein lies the

delegation’s conjoined purpose to capitalize

John H. Smith funeral in Ouidah 2006

from many years of consultations with African leaders, Washington Ambassadors from Benin, AfricaTown,

Alabama Benin, Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, and Alabama Foreign Trade Investment Zones.

These structures were created by formal Acts of Law by the Government of the State of Alabama to assist

the US Government implement the African Growth and Opportunities Act and provide support to Sub-

Saharan Africa in meeting its Millennium economic and social challenges and tourism opportunities

Mayor Omar Neal is especially interested in the creation of a formal education exchange program with Tuskegee University becoming the Flagship University. At this writing, he begun to communicate with several young people he met during his visit to Benin and is in communication with Tuskegee University to create the infrastructure. Given the rich and important contribution of the City of Tuskegee residents and the University staff and alumni, namely Rosa Parks, Booker T. Washington, George Washington, Lionel Richie, and Mayor Omar Neal, himself a graduate. The notoriety and accomplishments par excellence of the Tuskegee Airman, it is only befitting and certain that the delegations from Benin, some who will be

making their first visit to Alabama make the City of Tuskegee their initial Arrival City in Alabama. This is history in the making. The initial invitation to come for the 2010 summit was borne from a collective effort of Beninese and Alabamian citizens. This effort culminated in a Letter of Invitation from His Excellency, Jean Ehouzou, Minister of Foreign Affairs with excellent technical assistance by Madame Nicole Elisha and financial support of air tickets, lodging and meals from Mr. Richard

Lohento, Director General of AAT Travel Agency in Benin,. Mr. Lohento was in the Ministry of Tourism when John H. Smith first came to Benin in 1982. He and Mr. Smith formed a gentleman’s agreement travel partnership as AAT Travel Agency was used exclusively for his travels to Benin. Robert Battles of Africatown has recently issued a letter designating AAT as the Official Travel Agency of Africatown. Dreams never die – 28 years after it was conceived – the original ideal became a reality

The Delegation Visits the Orphanage – Mayor Neal Speaks to the Children

Connections Made – Brother to Brother & Sister to Sister

What is the Alabama Benin Connection? On the Africatown Heritage Grounds there is a bust of the beloved late former Mayor of the City of

Prichard, John Smith. John Smith was the first Alabama official to visit Benin in 1982. Next to John is a bust

of Cudjoe Kazoola Lewis, the last survivor of a voyage on the slave ship, Clotilde, from Benin in 1860. The

monuments are an enduring symbol of the community’s pride in its African history and heritage, and are the

focal point for annual celebrations of that heritage.

Abaché and Cudjoe Kazoola Lewis at Africatown in the

1910s. They both were among the last group of Africans

forcibly transported to the United States aboard the

slave ship Clotide from Benin.

Cudjoe Kazoola Lewis was born around 1840, a

member of the Tarkbar tribe, which

inhabited the interior region of the Gulf of Guinea

on the west coast of Africa. The Tarkbars were an

agricultural people raising hogs, goats, sheep,

chickens and cows. They planted beans and yams,

and gathered bananas and pineapples. Their main

trade item was the oil from palm trees, which was

traded to other tribes, eventually reaching the coast

for export abroad. In the late 1850s, West Africa

was at war with itself. Defeated tribes were often sold into slavery. In November of 1858, the Mobile

Register noted, "The King of Dahomey was driving a brisk trade in slaves at from fifty to sixty dollars

apiece." And as secessionist fever was spreading through Alabama in the 1850s, there was much talk of

reopening the African slave trade, which had been outlawed

since 1808. It was in this setting that wealthy Mobile shipper

Timothy Meaher and shipyard owner William Foster planned the

Trans-Atlantic voyage of the Clotilde for the purpose of bringing

an illegal cargo of slaves back to Mobile. Clotilde set sail from

Mobile on March 4, 1860, arriving at the port of Whydah on the

west coast of Africa on May 15. Five weeks earlier, Cudjoe

Kazoola Lewis and dozens of fellow tribesmen had been

captured by Dahomean warriors and marched to the port of

Whydah where Lewis and 114 others were sold to Captain

Foster for one hundred dollars apiece. By the time they arrived

in Mobile, federal authorities, having heard the scheme, were on

the lookout for the Clotilde. Captain Foster entered Mobile

Harbor on the night of July 9, 1860. He transferred his slave cargo to a riverboat and sent them up into the

canebrake to hide them. He then burned his schooner and sunk it.

The Africans were distributed to those having an interest in the Clotilde expedition, with 32 settling on the

Meaher property at Magazine Point, three miles north of Mobile. This formed the nucleus of what came to

be known, and still is known, as Africatown. Lewis was among that group. After the Civil War, they were

joined by a number of their fellow tribesmen. For decades they continued speaking their native tongue, had

disputes arbitrated by their tribal chieftain, Charlie Poteete, and had their illnesses treated by the African

doctor, Jabez. Up until World War II, Africatown remained a rather distinct community in Mobile County.

Africatown is unique in that it represents a group of Africans who were forcefully removed from their

homeland, sold into slavery, and then formed their own, largely self-governing community, all the while

maintaining a strong sense of African cultural heritage. This sense of heritage and sense of community

continues to thrive today, more than 130 years after the landing of the Clotilde in Mobile Bay."

In 1868, Africatown was established in Mobile and Prichard,

Alabama, by members of the last cargo of slaves brought to the

United States. The community deserves recognition as a National

Historic District because it is one of the few places in America where

most residents can collectively trace their lineage to a group of pure

Africans. In its earliest history, most of the Africatown men worked in

the local lumber mills, and the women became fruit and vegetable

vendors, cooks, or laundresses. These people were known as

craftspeople, especially for woodworking and quilt making.

Africatown is also well known for its folk medicine, and most

residents continue to rely on traditional African herbal drugs. Like

most African music, the music in Africatown is chiefly vocal. The area

is rich in folktales, many of which need to be recorded and

documented. Another cultural area in particular need of preservation efforts is architecture. Many of

Africatown's older shotgun houses and bungalows should be

restored and preserved as monuments to the unsung craftsmen

who erected them. Formal efforts to preserve Africatown began

with the founding of the Progressive League in 1957, and in 1981

Africatown was nominated to become a National Historic District.

In 1985, the Alabama legislature officially recognized Africatown

as an historic area and made provisions for its establishment as

a State park

Coming To America

The Delegation Arrives – Friday, June 18, 2010

Following a month long exchange of phone calls, letters and electronic communication, the following

delegation members arrived at Atlanta Hartsfield Airport at 2:05 on Air France Airlines.

Mayors

ADJOVI, SEVERIN – Mayor of the City of Ouidah

DANHA, PASCAL – Mayor of the City of Jackotomey

DOGUE, VALERE – 1st Adjoint Mayor of the City of Lokossa

RADJI, GAFFAROU – Special Secretary/Mayor of the City of Lokossa

TOSSOU, BERTIN – Mayor of the City of Come

GNACADJA, LAURENT – Mayor of the City of Glazoue

GLELE AHANHANZO, BLAISE – Mayor of the City of D’abomey

Businessmen AHOUIGNAN, CIR FLORENT DOMETO, RENE HOUNNOU, FRANCOIS XAVIER

Travel Agent RICHARD LOHENTO - AAT Travel Agency – Benin

Special Arrival Welcome for Delegation at the Atlanta Airport

The delegation was met at the Atlanta Airport which is 90 minutes NW of Atlanta by Mayor Omar Neal and

a welcoming team. The Honorable Kasim Reed, Mayor of the City of Atlanta, sent his Chief of Staff,

Candice Byrd and Chief Operating Officer Peter T. Aman to welcome

the delegation on behalf of the Mayor. After the official greeting was

delivered the delegation was invited to a private room which had

been pre- arranged by Mr. Walter Vinson of the Atlanta Hartsfield

Airport Special Security Division. Mr. Vinson also helped to expedite

a speedy clearance through Customs for the group. Mayor Neal’s

Airport Welcome team included Howard Burton, the Mayor’s Protocol

and Diane Cameron, Co-coordinator for the visit.

THE HONORABLE KASIM REED MAYOR OF THE CITY OF ATLANTA

Mayor Kasim Reed was inaugurated as the City of Atlanta’s 59th Mayor on January 4, 2010. Since taking office, Mayor Reed has worked to improve public safety, create new opportunities for the City’s youth, restore fiscal stability to the City and provide faster and more efficient customer service to residents.

Prior to his election, Mayor Reed established a track record of leadership during his 11 years as a member of the Georgia General Assembly. He was first elected in 1998 as a State Representative and served two terms. From 2002-2009, he served in the Georgia State Senate, where he was Vice Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

As an undergraduate member of Howard University's Board of Trustees, he created a fundraising program that has contributed more than $10 million to the school’s endowment since its inception. Mayor Reed was appointed as Howard University's youngest General Trustee in June 2002 and remains a member of the Board of Trustees.

Mayor Reed is Chair of the Transportation and Communications Committee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Chair of the Regional Transit Committee of the Atlanta Regional Commission. He is a member of the Leadership Georgia Class of 2000 and Leadership Atlanta Class of 1998, and was named to the Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowship Class of 2007. Mayor Reed is also a former Board Member of both the National Black Arts Festival and Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund.

His civic leadership and service have been nationally recognized in publications such as The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Ebony and Black Enterprise.

Mayor Reed grew up in the Cascade community of Atlanta, where he attended Utoy Springs Elementary School and Westwood High School (now Westlake High School). He is a graduate of Howard University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees. Mayor Reed also is a former partner of Holland and Knight LLP, an international law firm with offices in Atlanta.

The Delegation Arrival in Pictures

Sponsored by Mayor Kasim Reed & the Atlanta Airport

Upon Arrival the Delegation is greeted by Mayor Kasim Reed of Atlanta Chief of Staff & Chief Operating Officer

The Delegation during the Welcome Greeting from the Office of the Honorable Mayor of Altanta Kasim Reed

There is a song from the 1978 hit Musical, “The Wiz” called “Home”. Mayor Neal thought it would be an

appropriate song to sing to the Delegation when they arrived. Ms. Lameasha did a superb rendition!

These are the lyrics to the song.

When I think of home

I think of a place where there's love overflowing

I wish I was home

I wish I was back there with the things I been knowing

Wind that makes the tall trees bend into leaning

Suddenly the snowflakes that fall have a meaning

Sprinklin' the scene, makes it all clean

Maybe there's a chance for me to go back there

Now that I have some direction

It would sure be nice to be back home

Where there's love and affection

And just maybe I can convince time to slow up

Giving me enough time in my life to grow up

Time be my friend, let me start again

Suddenly my world has changed it's face

But I still know where I'm going

I have had my mind spun around in space

And yet I've watched it growing

If you're list'ning God

Please don't make it hard to know

If we should believe in the things that we see

Tell us, should we run away

Should we try and stay

Or would it be better just to let things be?

Living here, in this brand new world

Might be a fantasy

But it taught me to love

So it's real, real to me

And I've learned

That we must look inside our hearts

To find a world full of love

Like yours

Like me

Like home...

A stirring rendition of “Home” being sung to the arriving delegation by Lameashea

The Delegation Lodging in Tuskegee – June 18, 19, 20

The Delegation and Guest resided at the Kellogg Conference Center conveniently located on the grounds

and steps away from the Tuskegee University. Breakfast was eaten every morning in the restaurant at

7:00am.

The Rooms & Suites of the Kellogg Conference Center

The Kellogg Conference is a full-service hotel in Tuskegee, Alabama offers 108 elegant guest rooms and 2

parlor suites. It is Tuskegee University lodging that is second to none in the area, with fantastic modern

conveniences in the midst of an area rich with culture and history.

All of the Tuskegee hotel accommodations include writing desks, cable television, high-speed wireless

Internet access, voicemail, an iron and ironing board and coffeemaker. Each of our Kellogg hotel rooms

also includes a private bathroom with a hairdryer and complimentary toiletries.

Standard Rooms feature 2 queen-size beds.

Deluxe Rooms feature1 king bed and upscale amenities, including cotton robes.

Parlor Suites

In addition to all of the amenities in our Deluxe Kellogg Hotel Rooms, Parlor Suites offer separate sitting

rooms and are furnished with king-sized beds. Parlor suites also have sitting rooms and patios nearby.

The Tuskegee Agenda – Friday, June 18th – June 20th

Friday, June 18, 2010 4:00 – 6:00 PM Arrival of Guests - Tuskegee University Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Meet and Greet Welcome Reception – Kellogg Conference Center Banquet

Room

Some of the Delegation relaxing at the Hotel during the Welcome Night Reception

Saturday, June 19, 2010 7:00 AM – 8:30 AM Breakfast – Restaurant - Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center

8:30 AM – 8:30 AM Convene in Lobby - Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center

8:45 AM – 9:00 AM Travel to the Tuskegee Municipal Complex, 101 Fonville Street

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Tuskegee Municipal Complex Tour & Vendors

10:00AM - 12 Noon Juneteenth Ceremony – Tuskegee Municipal Auditorium

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a holiday in the United States honoring African American heritage by commemorating the announcement of the abolition of

slavery in the U.S. State of Texas in 1865. Celebrated on June 19, the term is a portmanteau of June and nineteenth, and is recognized as a state holiday in 36 states of the United States.

A Welcome Greeting to the Delegation from Ms. Robin Cabiness Banks, the great granddaughter of Dr. Booker T. Washington, the founder of Tuskegee University.

J U N E T E E N T H C E L E B R A T I O N – T U S K E G E E 2 0 1 0 A picture is worth 10,000 words – Here are a few thousand more….

JUNE 19TH CONTINUED

12 Noon – 12:05 PM Travel to Luncheon Site

PICUTRES FROM THE LUNCHEON WILL GO HERE

12:15 PM – 1:45 PM Luncheon – Auburn, Al Restaurant - Need Pictures and Names

1:45 PM – 1:55 PM Travel to Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site and Visitor Center

1616 Chappie James Drive, Tuskegee

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Tour of the Historic Site and Visitor Center

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Walk Historic Moton Field - Tuskegee Municipal Airport, 1727 Airport Road

Exhibit at Tuskegee Airmen’s Museum

TUSKEGEE AIRMEN MUSEUM PHOTOS

3:30 PM – 3:50 PM Travel to the Whipporwill Vineyard, 4282 County Road 31, Notasulga 36866

3:50 PM – 4:50 PM Wine Tasting at the Whipporwill Vineyard

The Pictures from the Whipporwill will go here

4:55 PM – 5:10 PM Travel to Tuskegee Institute National Historic Sites

5:10 PM – 6:10 PM Tour of Tuskegee Institute National Historic Sites

George Washington Carver Museum and

“The Oaks” – Home of Dr. Booker T. Washington

8:00 PM – 11:00 PM Reception – Delegates, International Guests, City Official s and Guests

Tuskegee University Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center

Pics from Whipporwill on this page

Sunday, June 20, 2010

7:00 AM – 8:30 AM Breakfast – Restaurant - Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center

9:00 AM – 9:15 PM Convene in Lobby - Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center

9:15 AM – 9:20 PM Walk across the Street to the Tuskegee University Chapel

9:30 AM – 11:00 AM Ecumenical Service – Message from Dr. Gregory S. Gray, Dean of Chapel

Prayers from Interfaith Religious Leaders

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Brunch – Restaurant - Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center

1:15 PM – 1:15 PM Convene in Meeting Room – TBA – Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center

1:30 PM – 5:00 PM Roundtable Discussions with Mayor of Tuskegee, City Officials & Guests

Topics: Economic Development, Cultural Exchange and Education

Meeting Room – TBA - Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center

5:00PM – 6:00 PM Break

6:00 PM – 6:00 PM Convene in Lobby – Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center

6:05 PM – 6:10 PM Travel to the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center

104 South Elm Street, Tuskegee, Alabama 36083

6:15 PM – 7:00 PM Tour of the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center

7:00 PM – 7:05 PM Travel to Farewell Reception, Home of Mr. Robert and Mrs. JoAnn Pearson,

902 South Main Street, Tuskegee, Alabama 36083

7:00 PM – 10:00 PM Farewell Reception hosted by Mr. Robert and Mrs. JoAnn Pearson

Robert & JoAnn Pearson, Tuskegee residents and owners of a gorgeous Bed & Breakfast in Tuskegee, Alabama. They opened up their beautiful home complete with music, fun and fare… The delicious meal was

catered by Street Catering by Doris Harden and Edward C. Moore Catering, Tuskegee

THE PEARSON’S

JoAnn & Robert Pearson

Pictures from the Pearsons’

Catering at the Pearson’s was provided by: Street Catering by Doris Harden

Traveling in Style with Atlanta Limosine

Atlanta Shuttle & Limousine Driver – Ramona Wiley

ON THE ROAD TO MONTGOMERY TO MEET WITH THE GOVERNOR OF ALABAMA

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM Meeting with the Honorable Bob Riley, Governor of the State of Alabama

Top Left: Diane Cameron, Amelia Boynton Robinson (Ms. Boynton-Robinson’s picture was shown around the world when she was beaten on the Edmund Pettus bridge during the March from Selma to Montgomery, She is called the Mother of Selma Civil Rights), Mayor of Jackotomey, Pascal Danha, Top Right: City of Tuskegee Councilwoman, Georgette White-Moon: Bottom Left: Mayor Omar Neal, Mayor Severin Adjovi, Mayor of the City of Ouidah, The Honorable Bob Riley, and Assistant: Bottom Right: Laurent Gnacadja, Mayor of the City of Glazoue

The Delegation Take Pictures with the Honorable Governor Bob Riley

Governor Bob Riley is serving his second term as Alabama’s chief executive. Throughout his service, he has

focused on economic development, education reform and making state government more accountable to the

taxpayers. The results have been impressive.

During his two terms, Alabama has won major economic development projects that resulted in more than 150,000

announced new jobs and witnessed a growth in per capita income and a decrease in poverty, even in spite of the

national recession. Governor Riley is also the first Alabama governor to sign an income tax cut into law in over 70

years.

Governor Riley is a champion of home-grown education reforms and expanded them, including the Alabama

Reading Initiative, the Alabama Math, Science & Technology Initiative, First Class Pre-K, Advanced Placement

courses, and ACCESS Distance Learning. With the expansion of these reform initiatives, Alabama students have

achieved more academically and their scores on national tests have risen significantly. Governor Riley also

proposed the largest school construction bond issue in state history, and those funds have built and repaired

schools in every school system in Alabama.

10:30AM – 10:45 AM Travel to Rosa Park Memorial Museum

10:55: AM – 11:30 AM Tour of Rosa Park Memorial Museum

11:30AM – 12:30 PM Travel to Dexter Avenue Baptist Church for Tour – The Church that Dr.

Martin Luther King used to Pastor

PICTURE ON THE WALL INSIDE THE DEXTER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH

12:30PM – 1:30 Visit to Manufacturing Plant in Montgomery

1:45PM – 2:45PM – Travel to Selma to Have Lunch with the Honorable George Evans, Mayor

of Selma

3:00PM – 4:00PM – Mayor Neal, Juneteenth Coordinators and Staff invited to Lunch in Selma,

Alabama with Mayor George Evans, Alabama Senator, Hank Sanders, Alabama Attorney, Rose

Sanders, Councilwoman Angela Benjamin & Guests.

4:15PM – 4:45PM – The Mayors, Neal & Evans take historic photo on Edmund Pettus Bridge,

Selma Slavery & Civil Rights Museum with Juneteenth Celebration Coordinators & Staff.

The Delegation is pictured above on the very same bridge, If you look to the upper right of the picture where the cars are traveling, in faint view, are the words Edmund Pettus Bridge

HISTORY STANDING ON HISTORY

On "Bloody Sunday," March 7, 1965, some 600 civil rights marchers headed east out of Selma on U.S.

Route 80. They got only as far as the Edmund Pettus Bridge six blocks away, where state and local

lawmen attacked them with billy clubs and tear gas and drove them back into Selma. Two days later on

March 9, Martin Luther King, Jr., led a "symbolic" march to the bridge. Then civil rights leaders sought court

protection for a third, full-scale march from Selma to the state capitol in Montgomery. Federal District Court

Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr., weighed the right of mobility against the right to march and ruled in favor of

the demonstrators. "The law is clear that the right to petition one's government for the redress of grievances

Mayor Omar Neal & Mayor George Evans

The Delegation Standing on the Edmund Pettus Bridge

may be exercised in large groups...," said Judge Johnson, "and these rights may be exercised by marching,

even along public highways." On Sunday, March 21, about 3,200 marchers set out for Montgomery,

walking 12 miles a day and sleeping in fields. By the time they reached the capitol on Thursday, March 25,

they were 25,000-strong. Less than five months after the last of the three marches, President Lyndon

Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965--the best possible redress of grievances.

History of Amelia Boynton Robinson at the Edmund Pettus Bridge

The Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March of 1965 is considered one of the most significant protest

demonstrations of the modern civil rights movement. This movement changed the nation, originating in the

Southern town of Selma, Alabama. Selma, the county seat of Dallas County, was considered more

progressive than other areas of the Deep South because two percent of the African Americans had

managed to register to vote by the 1960s. For several years the Dallas County Voters League (DCVL)

assisted by the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) continued to educate and register

African American voters. However, only a small number of African Americans were allowed to register.

Voter registration efforts continued for several years along with mass meetings, demonstrations, and finally,

a plan to march to the State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama from Selma to formally protest voter

discrimination.

On Sunday, March 7, 1965 the first march started from Brown Chapel AME Church toward Montgomery,

but was stopped at the Edmund Pettus Bridge when marchers were brutally attacked by law enforcement

officers. Two days later, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and SNCC organizers led a second march from Brown

Chapel toward Montgomery, but peacefully turned around at the “point” of confrontation” at the foot of the

Pettus Bridge. On March 21, 1965 a third march under the protection of the National Guard, left Brown

Chapel for Montgomery and five days later reached the State Capital.

The media coverage brought national and international attention to the struggle, the adversity, the violence

and the determination of the Selma protestors. As a result, Congress rushed to enact the legislation that

would guarantee voting rights for all Americans. The Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President

Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6, 1965.

Mayor Omar Neal of Tuskegee, Alabama & Mayor George Evans of Selma Alabama Standing in front of the National Voting Rights Museum & Institute II

5:00PM Travel to Atmore to Check in Hotel and eat dinner at Hotel

I need your approval on these 2 pics and if so I know Debbie and Omari’s name, but I will need the

gentleman to the left and your mom’s name from the picture above Mayor. – Thank you!

The Delegation Stayed at the Wind Creek Hotel Atmore, Alabama

June 21, 22, 23

The hotel features 236 spacious rooms with 24/7 room service. Guest sleep on an ULTRA PLUSH bed complete with fine linens and a down duvet. Other amenities include:

Dream Weaver beds:

14" pillow-top mattress Featherbed mattress topper 4 pillows (2 down, 2 fiber-filled) 320 count sheets (100% Egyptian cotton) Overstuffed down duvet

Choice of bath amenities – Lather, Sister Sky or Echoes 42" HD LG flat-screen TV Sony Dream Machine clock/radio Pay-Per-View movies Coffee maker Refrigerator Complimentary in-room safe to secure valuables Complimentary high speed Internet – Wireless and DSL Complimentary local and toll-free calls

Delegation and Staff outside of the WindCreek Hotel

Benin Delegation Visit to USA South Alabama University June 22, 2010 USA Student Center Ballroom

Mobile Agenda

12:00 noon – 1:00 pm Box lunch – Hosted by USA, SCESP, Ballroom, Jim Ellis, Director of International

Students

1:00 – 1:30 – Student roundtable – Students, USA International Student Services, Kern Jackson

Open Public Session – faculty, staff and community.

1:45 – Welcome to USA – Dr. David Johnson, Senior Vice President Academic Affairs

1:55 – Mobile Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau – David Randel, Vice President,

2:15 – Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce – Bridgette Clark International Trade Program

Manager

2:30 - Community Health Advocacy Program of the USA Center of Excellence – Dr. Roma

Hanks, Chair, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work.

2:45 – Benin Delegates – Presentations and follow-up discussions

3:30 …. Conclusion of program

University of South Alabama – www.usouthal.edu

Office of International Education – www.usouthal.edu/international

School of Continuing Education and Special Programs -

http://www.southalabama.edu/scesp/

Return to Hotel for dinner and close of day

See photos from University Visit on next page:

The delegation and guest at USA South Alabama for Economic & Trade Forum/Lunch

Tuesday, June 22nd Agenda

Mobile

7:00AM – 10:00 AM – Breakfast at Wind Creek Hotel

11:00AM – 12:00Noon – Travel to Alabama Port of Authority to Tour the Alabama State Docks

Dedicated: 1928

Acreage: Total - 4,000

Main Complex: 570 McDuffie Island: 556 Choctaw Point: 380+/- acres Other Sites: 2,098 Inland Docks: 462

ASPA Economic Impact in Alabama

66,617 Direct and Indirect Jobs $263+ Million in Direct and Indirect Tax Impact Total Economic Impact $7.92+ Billion

Number of Berths: 41

Channel Depth: 45 Feet to the Tunnels; 40 Foot in the River Harbor

Warehouse and Open Yards: 4 Million sq. ft.

Number of Vessel Calls: ASPA 859; Portwide: 1,295

FY2009 ASPA Tonnage: 22.4 Million Tons

FY2009 ASPA Containers: 121,803 TEUs

FY2009 Revenue Rail Cars Handled: 107,181 Units Imports: Containers Coal, Aluminum, Iron, Steel, Copper, Lumber, Woodpulp, Plywood, Fence

Posts, Veneers, Roll and Cut Paper, Cement, and Chemicals.

Exports: Containers Coal, Lumber, Plywood, Woodpulp, OSB, Laminate, Flooring, Roll and Cut Paper, Iron, Steel, Frozen Poultry, Soybeans, and Chemicals.

Pictures from the Delegation Visit to the Alabama State Port

Juneteenth 2010 Merit Awards Banquet June 22, 2010 6:00PM

Hosted by Pastor Walter Bracy George Williams, Chairman Alabama Benin Forum

6:00PM – 10:00PM

Awards Banquet

Master of Ceremonies

Dr. Sharon Ingram

Banquet Speaker

Pastor Walter Bracy

Remarks by the Delegation Mayors

Reading of the Proclamation to the Delegation by the Honorable Bob Riley

Remarks Mayor Omar Neal

Special Music by Maranatha Kitimbe

Remarks by Richard Lohento

Awards Given to Benin Mayors

Awards Given to Special Nominees

Closing Remarks and Return to Hotel

The Delegation & the Diaspora Remembering the Past * Celebrating Our Future

Lift every voice and sing, till earth and Heaven ring,

Ring with the harmonies of liberty;

Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies,

Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,

Let us march on till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod,

Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;

Yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet,

Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,

We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered;

Out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last

Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,

Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;

Thou Who hast by Thy might, led us into the light,

Keep us forever in the path, we pray.

Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee.

Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee.

Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand,

True to our God, true to our native land.

The Negro National Anthem Composed by James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson. James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938)

Closing Ceremony

At 3:00 pm on Tuesday, June 22nd the Delegation and the Diaspora walked together into history. Attending

the closing ceremony at Union Baptist Church. The church was built in 1918 by the descendants from the

Clotilde. It stands today as a reminder to the power of unity in working together. It was at Union Baptist that

the Juneteenth Organizers decided would be the appropriate closing moments on a momentous and

endearing Juneteenth Celebration. It would be here, in the same edifice their grandparents years before

had built this church with their hands. It would also be the same place where the Benin Delegation and the

guest who represented other African nations; Cameroon, Togo, Nigeria, Malawi and Kenya.

We Pay Respect to the Ancestors from the Clotilde Who are resting in the Africatown Cemetery

The Delegation walked from Union Baptist Church To Africatown.. From Africatown… they went a few more steps to the Final Resting Place of our dear descendants

who came over on the Clotilda in 1860

Photo Collection From The Delegation Visit to Africatown in Mobile, Alabama

Mayor Bertin Tossou, of the City of Come, Benin looks the Africatown Sign

The Delegation stand in front of the Marble Statues on the property of Africatown

Mayor of Come, Bertin Tossou, Director of AAT, Richard Lohento, Mayor of D’abomey, Community Connections, Elise Dosseh,

The Marble Statues of Cudjo Lewis & John Smith donated to Africatown by Thomas Akodjinou of Benin and Felix Eklu of Togo. The statues are permanently fixted to the Africatown Property

The Delegation pay respects to the ancestors with libations, prayers and silence at the Africatown Cemetary where the Benin Ancestors who came to Mobile on the Clotilde are buried

REST IN PEACE

LOOKING AHEAD

This Historic Document was signed between Mayor Neal and visiting Benin Mayors. The Agreement outlines the next phase of the relationship between Benin and Alabama.

Special Thanks to the Tuskegee Juneteenth Organizers

Left: Ms. Lateefah Muhammad, Alabama Attorney, Tuskegee Juneteenth Co-coordinator Right: Mr. Lee “Chief” James, Tuskegee Historian and Videographer

Below Left: Ms. Zondra V. Rideout, Organizer, Mr. Howard Burton, Mayor’s Chief Protocol

HIS EXCELLENCY CYRILLE OGUIN – THE AMBASSADOR TO THE REPUBLIC OF BENIN

The Ambassador of the Republic of Benin to the United States of America, His Excellency

Cyrille S. Oguin holds the rank of Minister Plenipotentiary in the Benin Foreign Service. He is an alumnus of

the Algiers National School of Administration – Foreign Service – and of the Geneva Graduate Institute of

International Studies where he obtained a M. Phil in Law and International Relations. Ambassador Oguin,

who joined the diplomatic service in March 1978, has wide professional experience, including at the central

administration of the Ministry of External Affairs and Cooperation as well as in foreign posts.

He is also well versed in international affairs from his overseas postings coupled with his participation at

various international conferences over the years. While serving as Second Secretary of the Benin Embassy

in Accra (Ghana) from 1979 to 1984, he led this mission as Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim from July 1981 to

September 1982, with accreditation also to Togo, Burkina Faso and Mali.

He was appointed as Assistant to Chief of Staff of the Minister of External Affairs and Cooperation (1992-

1995) and later as Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (1995-1996). Before his appointment in 2001

as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Benin to the United States of America, Mr. Oguin

served as Director of Human Rights at the Ministry of Justice, Legislation and Human Rights (1998-2001).

His is a member of the Benin National Committee for Reconciliation and Development that is leading the

process of reconciliation initiated in Benin with the black Diaspora including with African Americans. From

2008, he also serves as Ambassador of Benin to Mexico and as Permanent Observer for Benin to the

Organization of American States (O.A.S) in Washington, D.C. Ambassador Cyrille S. Oguin is married and

a father of two. He is fluent in French and English and can write and read Arabic. In November 2000,

Ambassador Oguin was awarded the Knight of the National Order of Benin Chevalier de l’Ordre National du

Bénin). In August 2001, he was promoted “Officier de l’Ordre National du Bénin’’ for his contribution to

Human Rights in his country and in Africa. He was awarded with a Paul Harris Fellowship for his efforts in

assisting the Polio Team in 2004, and is an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Washington, D.C

(Heartfelt thanks to His Excellency for all of his assistance during the Juneteenth Week in Alabama, Mayor Omar Neal)

HIS EXCELLENCY LIMBIYE KADANGHA

THE TOGOLESE AMBASSADOR TO THE US

Limbiye Edawe Kadangha Bariki became ambassador of Togo to the United States

on July 14, 2009 having previously served as a member of the governmental

delegation to the Foundations of Social Dialogue in Togo since January 2006.

Prior to that, Ambassador Bariki served as a technical counselor in charge of

economic, commercial and cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and

Regional Integration (2004-06). In 2004, he was also a member of the Togolese

National Negotiating Committee on Economic Partnership Agreements between West

Africa and the European Union. In addition, he was chief of staff to the minister of foreign affairs and

cooperation from 2000 to 2003, chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of Togo in Gabon from 1998 to 2000, and

chief of diplomatic affairs in the presidency of Togo from 1996 to 1997.

Ambassador Bariki, who joined the Togolese Diplomatic Service in 1991, has also held positions in the

Directorate of Economic and Technical Affairs and the Directorate of Political and Legal Affairs (1991-96).

Ambassador Bariki is a graduate of the University of Benin in Togo and the National School of

Administration in Lome, Togo. He is married with 3 children.

Mayor Omar Neal, City of Tuskegee,

Madame Zondra Rideout, Special Juneteenth Coordinator

His Excellency, Ambassador Limbiye Bariki, Ambassdor from Togo to the United States.

Picture taken in Tuskegee, Alabama Kellogg Conference Center

HISTORIC TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY FACTS

Welcome to Tuskegee University Welcome to Tuskegee University - “The pride of the swift, growing south.” Tuskegee University is an independent and state-related institution of higher education. Its programs serve a student body that is coeducational as well as racially, ethnically and religiously diverse. With a strong orientation toward disciplines which highlight the relationship between education and work force preparation in the sciences, professions and technical areas More

University Mission Tuskegee University is a national, independent, and State-Related institution of higher learning that is located in the State of Alabama. The University has distinctive strengths in the sciences, architecture, business, engineering, health and other profession, all structured on solid foundations in the liberal arts. In addition, the University's programs focus on nurturing the development of high-order intellectual and moral qualities among students More

History of Tuskegee University Tuskegee University was established in 1880 by act of the Alabama State Legislature. The school’s first President, Dr. Booker T. Washington, officially opened the Normal School for Colored Teachers on July 4, 1881. More

Legacy of Leadership There have been five distinguished presidents in Tuskegee's 125-year history. More

Legacy of George Washington Carver Dr. George Washington Carver, Scientist Extraordinaire, Man of Faith, Educator and Humanitarian. As a botany and agriculture teacher to the children of ex-slaves, Dr. George Washington Carver wanted to improve the lot of "the man farthest down," the poor, one-horse farmer at the mercy of the market and chained to land exhausted by cotton. Unlike

other agricultural researchers of his time, Dr. Carver saw the need to devise practical farming methods for this kind of farmer.

Legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen Celebrating America's First Black Fighter Pilots. More

Henry Haseeb, Afri-Usa * George Williams, Chairman Alabama Benin Forum * Diane Cameron, USA Artist in Residence to Benin

Constantine David Gnahoui, Community Connections * Elise Ayoko, Community Connections, Alonzo Hill, V.P. * Dalton Colston, Treasurer * Hal Hogan, President - Community Connections

MOBILE, ALABAMA JUNETEENTH ORGANIZERS

Dr. Sharon Ingram, Banamobile * Dr. James Gordon, District 98 * Makinde A. Gbolohan, Osanyin Health Institute