On Monday, October 31st, Diallo Sumbry was enstooled as the Nkosuohene (Chief of Development) in Nyame Bekyere, a community in the Eastern Region of Ghana approximately 1.5 hours away from the capital city of Accra.
Diallo whose title became Nana One (Nana is used as the title of a monarch to signify their status) was recognized by the village elders for his consistent work in the community of Nyame Bekere and his efforts to build bridges between Ghana and the global African diaspora as a Tourism Ambassador to Ghana, co-architect/founder of The Year of Return, Director of Partnerships at African Ancestry, author of The Smart Repatriation Guide to Ghana, and CEO of The Adinkra Group, a cultural resource organization which has organized Birthright Journeys to Ghana for over 1000 African Americans since 2019.
After being enstooled, Sumbry’s first order as a new Chief was performing a naming ceremonies for 8 members of African Ancestry Homecoming who traced their lineage to Ghana through DNA as well Dwayne, Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Wade who were also in attendance at the enstoolment along with over 300 members of royal families, government officials, media, family, friends, and local residents of the community.
Following the naming ceremony, Sumbry, the Wade Family and other guests participated in a ribbon cutting and unveiling for a 3-story library and community center Diallo has developed in the town which also featured a live performance go-go band, Black Alley from Washington DC who were in Ghana for the festivities.
“As a creative and cultural community leader for the past 25 years, I have dedicated my life and work to showing the beauty and relevance to African and African American culture. Since coming to Ghana, I have been committed to bridging the gap and allowing both sides to experience and learn from each other. It is an honor to be bestowed the title of a Chief/King, however I believe that like a fruitful harvest, greatness requires a supportive environment that will provide the necessary elements to produce ripe fruit. That is my vision for Nyame Bekyere and I and invite others to join me here to support the development of this community and other communities I build and work in Africa and in the US,” shared Sumbry.
In December 2018, Sumbry was appointed US Ambassador for Tourism for Ghana in recognition of his impact on the country’s cultural and tourism sectors, and his role as one of the architects of The Year of Return. He is the first African-American to receive this title.
