EAST ST. LOUIS, Illinois, Feb. 28, 2020 - According to a letter signed earlier this month, His Excellency, M. Dionisio do Reino PEREIRA, Secretary of State of Youth and Sport of the Republic of Guinea Bissau, “hereby invites Olympic Champion, Mrs. Jackie Joyner Kersee, a descendant of Balanta people, to attend the Africa Day 2020 Tour and Homecoming Ceremony in Guinea Bissau as its Honored guest”. The letter was delivered to Mrs. Joyner Kersee by Siphiwe Baleka, President of the Balanta B’urassa History and Genealogy Society in America (BBHAGSIA) at the Jackie Joyner Kersee Foundation.
Mr. Baleka emphasized, “Jackie Joyner-Kersee is an Olympic legend and one of the 20th Century’s greatest athletes. More importantly, Mrs. Kersee’s post-Olympic career has been one of service and philanthropy in her hometown and globally. She is not only a source of pride to Americans, but she is also a source of pride to Balanta people and the people of Guinea Bissau.”
The idea for the Homecoming Ceremony to take place May 31 to June 2, was the brainchild of Mr. Baleka, who discussed the idea with Mr. Pereira and other government officials last month. “What started out as an effort to reconnect the descendants of the Balanta people who survived the horrific middle passage with their Balanta people in Guinea Bissau has evolved into a complete project to reconnect all of Guinea Bissau’s lost family that were taken by the criminal trans-Atlantic trafficking and enslavement of African people,” said Baleka.
The Balanta community is preparing to receive the members of BBHAGSIA and official events are being planned at the Port of Cacheu, which opened a slavery history museum in 2016, as well as in the capital city of Bissau. The focus of the events is to help descendants of the Baga, Balanta, Banhun, Biafada, Bijago, Bissau, Cacheu, Cassanga, Floup, Jola, Manjaco, Nalu, Papel, Sape, Bambara, Fula, Gabu, Geba, Jalonke, Mandika, Mouro and any other ethnic group from Guinea Bissau, reconnect with those communities from which their ancestors were taken.
“This is only the beginning of the process of healing the families on both sides of the Atlantic who were traumatized by the kidnapping, capture, trafficking, enslavement and colonizing of family members both in Guinea Bissau and abroad” Baleka said. "I believe this will help all the people of Guinea Bissau. Once the families are connected and the spiritual healing takes place, economic development, which Guinea Bissau sorely needs, will follow as a natural by-product.”
For more information contact: Siphiwe Baleka balantasociety@gmail.com
