Black history month essay competition award ceremony 2009
On Wednesday March 11, Ambassador Barry L. Wells held an award ceremony in honor of all the students and schools that participated in this year’s U.S. National African-American History Month essay competition. . In his remarks, Ambassador Wells noted that the objective of the competition was to encourage students to read and write about African-American history, and particularly focus on how that history relates to the history of The Gambia. He mentioned that a team of diplomats from The American Embassy selected the three winners. Speaking to the press afterwards, the Director of Standards and Quality for Lower Basic Education, Momodou Jeng, an invited guest, described the competition as an excellent way to demonstrate the talents and skills of Gambian students.
Ambassador Wells and DCM Brian Bachman,
with several of the participants and their
school principals, as well as Kora Player
Musa Suso, who provided entertainment for
the event
The competition promoted the power of education to change lives and underlined the powerful connections between African-Americans and Gambians. The award ceremony received extensive coverage on the Gambian national TV and radio stations and the story was carried in all the major newspapers. (view photo)
