40th Anniversary of the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

On April 4th, 2008, the Public Affairs Section hosted an event to honor the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. with several student clubs from the University of Ouagadougou. 

To open the evening, students from the English Club presented a play, in English, recounting the historical moments in Martin Luther King Jr.’s life.  Other clubs invited Burkinabè artists from diverse cultural backgrounds to perform.  The music varied from traditional to Hip Hop, Rap and Pop.  Two presented poems, one of which closed the evening with famous speech:  “I have a dream.”

A wide mixture of people, including University students, businessman, other artists and NGO members, filled the audience.  A local artist presented caricatures of five important people in history, including Ambassador Jeanine Jackson, as well as a metal statue to the American Cultural Center in gratitude for the relationship between Burkina Faso and the United States.  The students thanked the Cultural Center for the opportunity to organize this activity in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.  A total of 74 people participated in the event. 

Through this program, the American Embassy of Ouagadougou reinforced Mutual Understanding between our two countries and demonstrated its interest in political, economical, and educational development of the region. Overall, the event was positive with a uniting message from all performers to focus, as did Martin Luther King Jr., on the use of non-violence to convey a message or other political demands. The event generated some local media coverage as well.