The Metropolitan Black Bar Association (MBBA) recently paid courtesy calls to the Ghana Bar Association and the Attorney General’s Office 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 MBBA 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. During the visit, Director Tanya Blocker, leader of the group, emphasized the significance of the occasion, and the importance of cementing bonds amongst legal professionals on both sides of the Atlantic. She added, her desire to “escort the group home to Ghana is deeply symbolic of our shared heritage.”
MBBA President Carl Forbes, Jr. highlighted the longstanding and deep connections between New York City and Ghana, noting, “The founding president of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, spent a lot of time during his sojourn in New York.” He also noted that in the case of the Deputy Attorney General of Ghana, Madam Diana Asonaba Dapaah; she was in many ways a citizen of New York. Madam Dapaah shared her perigee 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. President Forbes thus claimed Madam Dapaah as a “bona fide member of our association.” He further noted, “Our journey to Ghana has been warm, touching, and full of emotions. Many of us have been touched by the deep welcomes offered and our experiences visiting the cultural site have left a lasting impression on us, and we felt at home”.
In their welcome remarks, the Vice President and Secretary of the Ghana Bar Association, Mr. Kwasi Amoako Adjei and Mr. Kwaku Gyau Baffour, emphasized the importance of creating a common platform for the exchange of ideas and programs. They proposed a collaborative relationship between the Ghana Bar Association and the MBBA, aimed at mutual development within the legal profession.
Deputy Attorney General, Madam Diana Asonaba Dapaah, underscored 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.