The crowd stretched for blocks, a sea of bold prints and traditional attire from across the African continent. All adorned in their finest wear for a once in the lifetime opportunity, to share a room with African royalty.
His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene of the Ashanti Kingdom in Ghana, urged members of the African diaspora to embrace empathy, sharing history and Pan-African unity during a royal lecture at Howard University on Aug. 25.
Howard faculty and student leaders, including members of the Howard Ghanaian Student Union (GSU) partnered with the Millennium Excellence Foundation, a nonprofit that honors high achievements across the African diaspora, to host the event. Howard was one stop for the foundation’s inaugural Millennium Excellence Week America 2026, which featured other events featuring recognition, dialogue and deal-making.
Before the king’s address, hundreds of guests filled Cramton Auditorium and heard remarks from a member of the foundation’s host committee, Adjoa B. Asamoah, Ed.D., and Howard University provost and chief academic officer, Anthony K. Wutoh.
“As a proud daughter of Ghana…the responsibility of unifying us everywhere is shared,” Asamoah said.
Wutoh discussed the long time relationship of Ghana and Howard University as far back as 1872, when Howard graduated its first set of international students and one of them was from Ghana.
“Today, we are especially honored to welcome a leader whose legacy similarly reflects a commitment to upholding communities, preserving cultural heritage and empowering future generations,” Wutoh said.
Then followed remarks from the chair of the department of Afro-American studies, Greg Carr, Ph.D., who shared perspective on how the Asantehene’s presence and reign highlights the shared connection to Africa by all in the crowd.
“As one of the most unbroken examples of leadership anywhere in the world. There is something for us to never forget. We never stopped being African. The staff, the faculty and the students were here. The children of Africa,” Carr said.
To finally bring the dignitary to stage, African Students’ Association’s 17th Miss Afrique, Madelyn Boamoah, a senior chemistry major from Charlottesville, Virginia, who also had a hand in coordinating the event, shared a sentiment as a child of the diaspora and the journey of those leaving their homeland.
“For many of us who carry Ghana with us, as we build our lives beyond its borders, moments like this remind us it lives in the history of the inherent, the culture we carry, and the relationships we continue to build,” Boamoah said.
Though both statements were projected towards the Asantehene, Boamoah made a point to mention and highlight GSU’s growth since being founded only four years ago. The founders who started the club to connect Ghanaian students and to offer them a place for community are now welcoming the Asantehene onto campus continuing their legacy.
“Tonight, that vision comes full circle, as the Ghanaian Student Union welcomed the Asantehene to Howard. Howard University has brought people together across cultures and generations, tonight, that tradition continues,” she said.
While many attendees had ties to Ghana, others from across the African diaspora attended to learn about a culture beyond their own. Darius Standifer, a junior human performance and political science double major from Richmond, California, reflected on the experience as an African American student.
“For those who didn’t grow up in Africa [or] just don’t know a lot about their African heritage, I think it’s really important to like putting yourself in the environment,” Standifer said.
When the king took to the stage, the audience rose to its feet as his royal court followed behind him. Dancers performed “Adwoa,” a Ghanaian style of dance, while drummers played and sang in Twi to accompany his procession.
The Asantehene addressed topics outside of government, emphasizing the importance of Pan-Africanism and encouraging members of the Black diaspora to approach one another’s histories with empathy.
“We must therefore listen to one another. Africans must listen seriously to the experience of racial injustice, cultural displacement and historical dispossession carried by the diaspora communities,” he said.
The audience extended beyond Howard students and faculty, drawing attendees from across the Washington, D.C. area, including Aba Hammond, who said she was particularly struck by the king’s emphasis on community development and giving back rather than financial gain.
“It was rooted in how do we help our people and not what is the bottom line for the dollar or who’s going to get rich. …We’re doing all of this so our people, our future, our children can benefit,” said Hammond, a D.C. resident.
After gifts were given and the Asantehene got off stage. The audience erupted in chants signing a call and response Asanteman traditional chant.
Aries Djangmah-Yeboah, a junior honors political science major, from East Hartford, Connecticut wasn’t solely a part of the crowd chanting for Asante pride but she also volunteered as a member of GSU. She moved from Ghana at the age of two and did not return until last summer, at the age of 18 as part of a study aboard program.
She said the event environment reminded her as if she was back home in Ghana.
“There’s just such a warm feeling in my heart. I grew up speaking one of the main languages in Ghana, which is Twi. So being in the U.S., if you’re really not in a Ghanaian-based community, it’s not around you as much,” Djangmah-Yeboah said.
“Not even getting to the event, but just walking up the hill and hearing local languages. I was like, wow, I feel like I’m home.”
Copy edited by Jori Johnson
A previous version of this article incorrectly identified the title of Madelyn Boamoah who is African Students’ Association’s 17th Miss Afrique. The article also incorrectly spelled Crampton Auditorium. The errors were corrected on Sept. 1.