Ghanaian Leader Accuses US of Erasing Black History During UN Visit

Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama criticized American policies during a United Nations appearance, claiming the US is making it acceptable to eliminate Black history from education and institutions. Mahama made the remarks while presenting a resolution calling for reparations for transatlantic slavery.

During a United Nations appearance on Tuesday, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama delivered sharp criticism of American policies, accusing the United States of making it acceptable to wipe out Black history from educational and cultural institutions.

Speaking at a slavery reparations event at the UN, Mahama expressed concern that current U.S. leadership under President Donald Trump has been targeting cultural and historical sites across America – including museums, monuments, and national parks – in an effort to eliminate what Trump labels “anti-American” ideology.

Trump’s recent executive actions and declarations have resulted in the removal of slavery exhibits, the reinstallation of Confederate monuments, and other changes that civil rights groups argue could undo decades of social advancement.

“These policies are becoming a template for other governments as well as some private institutions,” Mahama stated during his UN remarks. “At the very least, they are slowly normalising the erasure.”

The Ghanaian leader pointed to specific examples in America, including the elimination of Black history courses from school programs, requirements for institutions to stop teaching about the realities of slavery, segregation and racism, and increasing bans on books covering these topics.

The White House has not yet provided a response to requests for comment on Mahama’s statements.

This isn’t the first time Mahama has challenged Trump’s positions. The Ghanaian president previously condemned Trump’s false assertions about white genocide and land confiscation in South Africa, describing those claims as offensive to all Africans. Last year, Mahama also announced an agreement to accept West Africans who face deportation from the United States.

Mahama’s New York visit centers on presenting a resolution to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that would officially recognize transatlantic slavery as the “gravest crime in the history of humankind” while demanding reparations.

Ghana has emerged as a primary champion for reparations, a movement that has built considerable support in recent years despite facing growing opposition from some quarters.

Multiple Western leaders have refused to even discuss the reparations topic, with opponents maintaining that current governments and organizations shouldn’t bear responsibility for historical injustices.

According to the draft resolution obtained by Reuters, the proposal encourages member nations to participate in reparations discussions, which could include formal apologies, returning stolen cultural artifacts, providing monetary compensation, and promising such crimes won’t happen again.

The African Union nations and Caribbean Community countries have endorsed the resolution, along with Brazil and other supporters.

However, Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Ablakwa revealed that both the European Union and United States have already indicated they will not support the resolution.

Neither the EU nor U.S. missions to the United Nations have responded to requests for comment regarding their positions.