During a powerful keynote address at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris for Africa Week 2025, Ambassador Lorenzo Llewellyn Witherspoon, Liberia’s Special Envoy on Cultural & Heritage Diplomacy, issued a passionate plea for global solidarity to reclaim and restore African heritage through education, culture, and science.
Speaking on the theme “Global Solidarity for the Restitution and Restoration of African Heritage through Education, Culture, and Sciences,” Ambassador Witherspoon underscored Africa’s enduring contributions to global knowledge and the urgent necessity of recovering displaced cultural treasures and healing the intellectual and historical rupture caused by colonialism.
“Africa has always been at the forefront of human ingenuity,” Ambassador Witherspoon declared. “From the advanced ironwork of the Nok civilization to the astronomical knowledge of the Dogon and the learning centers of Timbuktu, our legacy is rich. Yet, this legacy has been systematically erased, appropriated, or ignored.” He called for a new global compact that moves beyond symbolic gestures to embrace concrete actions. These actions include the physical return of displaced cultural artifacts, significant investment in Africa’s research capabilities, the revision of educational curricula to properly reflect African perspectives, and a commitment to addressing the historical injustices that continue to hinder the continent’s development.
Addressing dispossession and the diaspora
Ambassador Witherspoon specifically highlighted the profound intellectual and cultural dispossession experienced across Africa and within the African diaspora. He invoked the CARICOM Reparatory Justice agenda, drawing a direct link to Africa’s broader struggle for dignity and the preservation of its historical memory. “Destroying historical memory is a crime requiring reparations,” he asserted, emphasizing the vital role of museums, educational institutions, and cultural exchange in healing intergenerational trauma.
Movingly, the Ambassador spoke about the plight of the African diaspora, describing the forced separation of enslaved Africans from their homelands as a “fundamental element of the colonial agenda” that continues to inflict cultural and social alienation. “Reparatory justice,” he affirmed, “must include restoring dignity and rebuilding the bridges of belonging.” In a poignant moment, he recounted a conversation with a young Liberian archaeology student who expressed her anguish at seeing her ancestral mask locked behind glass in a European museum. Her haunting question — “How do we connect with our ancestors when we must buy tickets to see the only symbols left to remember them?” — powerfully underscored the deep emotional toll of cultural dispossession.
A turning point for African heritage
Ambassador Witherspoon urged the international community to recognize 2025 as a pivotal turning point. “Let us designate 2025 as our fifth year—a year characterized by deliberate action, following years of preparation and reflection,” he appealed. He concluded by calling for Africa Week to evolve from a ceremonial gathering into a dynamic launchpad for systemic change. “Let this be the year we reclaim what is ours—not simply in artifacts or archives, but in spirit, story, and self-determination. Together, through science, culture, and education, we can shape a future in which African heritage is not only restored but empowered to thrive.”
ABJ/APA