A Delegation from the Metropolitan Black Bar Association (MBBA) has paid courtesy calls on the Ghana Bar Association and the Office of the Attorney General during a commemorative trip to Ghana.
These visits were marked by warm greetings, exchanges of mutual support, and traditional ‘Akwaabas’ from the Ghana Bar Association and the Attorney General of Ghana to the predominantly African American MBBA delegation.
The MBBA, a unified, citywide association of Black and other minority lawyers in the New York metropolitan area, encompasses members from all five boroughs.
Founded on July 5, 1987, through the merger of the Harlem Lawyers Association and the Bedford Stuyvesant Lawyers Association, the Association has long been a beacon of legal
advocacy and support for minority communities.
As part of the Association’s 40th Anniversary celebrations, the MBBA embarked on a commemorative journey to Ghana, celebrating its heritage and reconnecting with its roots.
Madam Tanya Blocker, Leader of the Group during th
e visit emphasized the significance of the occasion, and the importance of cementing bonds amongst legal professionals on both sides of the Atlantic.
‘My desire to escort the group home to Ghana is deeply symbolic of our shared heritage,’ she added.
Mr Carl Forbes, Jr., President of the Association, highlighted the longstanding and deep connections between New York City and Ghana, noting that ‘The founding President of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, spent a lot of time during his sojourn in New York.’
He said in the case of Madam Diana Asonaba Dapaah, a Deputy Attorney General, she was in many ways a citizen of New York.
Madam Dapaah shared her pedigree in undertaking a part of her legal studies at Fordham University in New York, which resonated with a few MBBA members, who are also Fordham alumnae.
Mr Forbes claimed Madam Dapaah as a ‘bona fide member of our Association.’
He said, ‘Our journey to Ghana has been warm, touching, and full of emotions. Many of us have been touched by the deep welcomes offe
red and our experiences visiting the cultural site have left a lasting impression on us, and we felt at home.’
Mr. Kwasi Amoako Adjei, the Vice President of the Ghana Bar Association, emphasized the importance of creating a common platform for the exchange of ideas and programmes.
Mr Adjei proposed a collaborative relationship between the Ghana Bar Association and the MBBA, aimed at mutual development within the legal profession.
Madam Dapaah said there was the need for greater active female representation in the legal field and suggested a merger of efforts with the MBBA to share insights and strategies.
Both courtesy calls concluded with firm commitments to further collaboration and a clear action plan towards building stronger and more structured links between the Ghana Bar Association and the MBBA in New York.
Source: Ghana News Agency