Across the globe during the last week of May, people across the African diaspora celebrate Africa Day, commemorating the establishment of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and its successor the African Union (AU), as a testament to the decolonization of the “Mother Continent.”
Africa Day 2025, celebrated on May 25, marked 62 years since 32 African states met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to establish an organization that promoted the continent’s progress and integration into global economic, political, and social spheres, all the while uniting the diaspora. As part of the annual commemoration, members and allies of the global African community congregated in celebration at the AU Representational Mission to the United States on May 30.
“This day is a powerful reminder of the strength we need, and the resilience of the nation and people of Africa,” Harrison Poku-Yeboah, director of operations at the Mayor’s Office on African Affairs, told the crowd during the Friday event. “Their contributions to the world in culture, innovation and leadership continue to inspire, shape and brighten the interconnective future of all.”
This year’s theme for Africa Day was “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations,” which outlined a potential strategy for those in the diaspora to receive a form of redress from colonization, transatlantic enslavement and apartheid. This theme supports the process of transforming this idea into a concrete Flagship Program of the Union.
The union’s Flagship Programs are part of its Agenda 2063, a plan created during the 50th Africa Day in 2013 with hopes it would lead the continent to the prosperity the AU dreams of by the commemoration’s centennial year. Some programs include the integration of a high-speed train network to connect the continent’s capitals, the establishment of an annual African economic forum, enhanced cyber security and others to ensure efficient development.
Embassy officials at the AU Mission building in Washington expressed the need for a cohesive diaspora to ensure the plan’s success.
“The mission’s symbolic role is… the rekindling and revitalizing of Pan-African unity and solidarity here in Washington D.C.,” said Her Excellency Hilda Suka-Mafudze. “It represents a foundation for a stronger, more resilient and self-determined push to align with Agenda 2063, with aspirations… of Africa as a strong, resilient, influential global player– a partner to which we are all committed.”
Strengthening African Identity in the Modern World
The event also included a reception, allowing attendees to walk around the AU building and explore food and goods from various African nations, including Egypt, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and more.
Victor Ele Ela, a counselor at the Embassy of Equatorial Guinea, appreciated the opportunity the event provides members of the diaspora to acknowledge their similarities and nuances while spending time in fellowship with one another.
“Being away from home, this just gives us an opportunity to connect, to celebrate and to reminisce [about] our culture, our gastronomy,” he told The Informer. “It brings us together and it gives us a sense of identity.”
Nigerian singer Abiodun Koya also attended the Africa Day commemoration, performing the U.S. and AU national anthems. She is also fond of the authentic celebration of culture and heritage, believing the diaspora’s past, present and future are all stories that must be carried on into the next generation, whether it be through education, community or art.
“There was a bridge built hundreds of years ago, so I think we have a responsibility and a role in this day and age to build a bridge… and connect the motherland with the diaspora,” Koya told The Informer.
Both Ele Ela and Koya actively honor the Pan-Africanism principles of education and cooperation outside of their primary careers.
To help unify the diaspora through education, competition and technology, Ele Ela created a fast-paced trivia game focused on African history, culture and politics named Afrika Na One. He hopes people utilize the platform to remember their roots and remain confident in their African identities and experiences.
Aside from being an operatic vocalist, Koya is also the president of the Los Angeles African Professionals, a coalition that brings together professionals in the diaspora located in Southern California through networking events.
“I would love to see one Africa. I would love to see the potential of Africa come to the surface,” Koya told The Informer. “I would love to see Africa reclaim her glory because Africa is where it all began– it’s the source. Africa is the real deal.”