Ambassador's Remarks and Public events
Ambassador James Jeffrey’s Remarks at African American History Month Event at Ankara TAA
February 24, 2009
Thank you all for coming tonight. This is one of our most important events for the American Embassy and the Turkish-American Association and many people contributed to this, put together this event every year and we are proud to be here with you. Well, I have to tell people here tonight that particularly this year celebrating African American History Month is very important; it’s very symbolic and very moving to us as Americans. And as President Obama’s said in his proclamation for African American History Month, which we celebrate every year in February, he reminded us that the history of African Americans is unique and rich; one teaches us what it means to be American.
President Obama noted that this year’s theme is the quest for black citizenship. This quest outlines African Americans’ centuries of struggle to become part of the civilization of the new world, they not only became part of it, they were people who contributed greatly to it and some of those contributions we’ll experience tonight. To pursue a perfect union has been a journey for us, including all of our citizens, in the American dream. As difficult and painful as this journey has been it has made my country a better and stronger nation.
I’d like to thank all of those who worked for this event together including our mission community, our English teaching assistant on the right corner and husband poet Michael Farris who is based in Selcuk University, Atilim University and Hacettepe University’s Department of American Culture Literature for providing some of the readings of tonight’s event. So once again, I hope you enjoy the evening and thank you all for coming.