Ambassador Perry's Speeches

Remarks for Ambassador June Carter Perry at the
Amistad Reception and Essay Contest Awards Ceremony
United States Embassy, December 14, 2007 3:00 p.m.

Honorable Ministers, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Ladies and Gentlemen, good afternoon.  I am honored to have you all here today, and I thank you for taking the time to join us to honor the staff, crew, and students of the Amistad ship as well as the Sierra Leonean students who have been studying the Amistad in school.  I invite you to join me in welcoming the many American visitors we have with us tonight, including those from New Haven and Farmington, Connecticut, Trenton, New Jersey, and Chicago, Illinois, among others.  They have shown immense commitment to solidifying the people to people relationships between Americans and Sierra Leoneans, and we hope those relationships will go stronger as a result of this visit.

In addition to the Sierra Leoneans and those who came from the United States in support of the Amistad visit, I’d like to thank our own Public Affairs Section, especially Danna Van Brandt and Amy Challe, who not only assisted the Committee with its preparations, but also organized the Embassy’s essay contest, in which over a dozen schools in Freetown and Bo participated, and organized showings of the film “Amistad” for school children at the Embassy.  After the visit of the ship, we plan to invite local school children to participate in video conferences with their counterparts in the public schools of New Haven Connecticut.

It is fitting that we are here to commemorate the visit of the Amistad this week, the same time as Human Rights Day, since the Amistad incident was the source of probably the first human rights case to appear before the Supreme Court of the United States.  Since then, the courts in the United States and all over the world have deliberated on hundreds of similar issues, bringing the world closer and closer to a place where the human rights of all people are sacrosanct.

Without further ado, I’d like to move on to our awards presentation.  Last month, we sent materials on the Amistad incident to over 20 schools around Sierra Leone, with a challenge to the students.  We asked them to write essays addressing the topic “Why I Admire Those Who Revolted on the Amistad.”  The responses were wonderful.  I was truly impressed with the eloquence of the children of Sierra Leone.  Before we announce our winners, I’d like to recognize each of the schools that submitted essays
 

·   Albert Academy
·   Amadiyya Muslim Secondary School
·   Annie Walsh Memorial School
·   Apex International
·   Beacon High School
·   Government Model Senior Secondary
·   Sengbe Pieh Memorial School   
·   Limount College
·   Sierra Leone Grammar School
·   Prince of Wales School

The winners of the essay contest were selected by a panel including

·         Mr.  Philip Taylor of the Krio Descendents Union
·         Mr. Alfred Sho-Sawyer of Africa Gems
·         Mr. Ishmail Sheriff of Afro Tebah
·         Josephine Kargbo of the Sierra Leone National Museum

These distinguished panelists read and discussed each essay submitted.  They had a very tough decision to make, but they chose the top three essays, and then we at the Embassy chose the winner out of those three. 

Each student who participated will receive a certificate from the Embassy.  I’d like to call up the two finalists, who will each receive a digital camera from the Embassy Aminata Palmer from the Apex International School and Cedric William Leigh from the Prince of Wales School.  (Students come up and receive prizes)

The winner, we are pleased to announce, will receive a VIP tour of the Amistad ship for him and his family.  Without further ado, I invite the winner of the essay contest, Samuel S. S. S. Sesay of the Government Model Senior Secondary School to come up and share with us his thoughts on why those who revolted on the Amistad are worthy of all of our admiration.  (Student reads essay)

Thank you for that wonderful sentiment.  I congratulate you and your family for a job well done and look forward to organizing your very special tour of the Amistad ship.
Thanks to all of you for coming here today and for your enthusiasm.  I am honored to have shared this monumental visit with every one of you.