President John Dramani Mahama has praised the Ghanaian community in Philadelphia for their enthusiasm and strong sense of national pride, describing them as one of the most vibrant diaspora groups he has encountered.

Speaking during an engagement with Ghanaians in the US city, President Mahama noted that while most official visits to the United States typically focus on New York and Washington, this visit to Philadelphia offered a refreshing opportunity to connect with a different segment of the diaspora.

He explained that the visit coincided with Ghana’s presentation of a landmark resolution at the United Nations on behalf of the African Union, CARICOM, and people of African descent worldwide, addressing the transatlantic slave trade and reparations.

According to the president, the resolution was successfully adopted with 123 votes, marking a historic moment in the global recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity.

“This issue has been discussed for decades, but it had never been formally tabled at the highest global platform. What happened at the UN was not just a victory for Africans, but for all people of conscience across the world,” he stated.

President Mahama also addressed longstanding arguments that seek to dilute responsibility for the slave trade, emphasizing that while multiple actors may have been involved, the institutional systems, legal frameworks, and financial structures that sustained the trade for over 400 years must be acknowledged.