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Ambassador Peter H. Vrooman and the Minister of the Sea, Inland Waters, and Fisheries, Lídia Cardoso, make a toast on the celebration of the 248th anniversary of the Independence of the United States.
(As Prepared)
June 27, 2024 | Maputo, Mozambique
Her Excellency the Minister of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries, Lídia Cardoso;
Fellow members of the diplomatic corps;
Partners in the government, private sector, civil society, and media;
Mozambican Friends; Fellow Americans,
Good afternoon. I would like to begin by thanking you all for joining us to celebrate the independence of the United States of America on July 4, 1776. Thanks to our sponsors and our Embassy staff.
Today, June 27, we are halfway between that famous date and our newest federal holiday – Juneteenth National Independence Day, which commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people on June 19, 1865. Our theme this year is Music and Movement, and I am grateful to GranMah, Grace Chiburre, and the Embassy choir for singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” composed by the poet, diplomat, and civil rights activist, James Weldon Johnson, in 1900.
In July 1917, James organized a silent protest parade of 10,000 people against lynching. This was one of the first major demonstrations by African Americans, preceding the famous March on Washington by nearly 50 years.
Fast forward to 1963: thousands of Americans – mostly young people – from all backgrounds marched on Washington, raising their voices to call for justice and an end to discrimination. They heard the “I Have a Dream” speech by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, an echo of the hopeful refrain of the rising sun captured in “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
American artist Sam Cooke was inspired and wrote the song “A Change Is Gonna Come,” which has become a historic anthem of hope for people around the world calling for change.
Today, we are celebrating these voices that have consoled the weary and inspired the masses. Governments may not always listen to the voice of the people, but when they do, we are better for it. We must listen to the voices of American musicians like Nina Simone, Mavis Staples, and Kendrick Lamar, as well as Mozambican musicians like Moisés Manjate of the group Djambo, Azagaia, Ivete Marlene Mafundza, and Simba Sitoi. We must listen to journalists who hold us all accountable, to writers like Paulina Chiziane and Amanda Gorman, and to the voices of voters who, through the ballot box, determine the direction of their country.
This year has been designated the year of democracy. More than 80 countries are holding elections, including the United States and Mozambique. 4 billion people around the world will make their voices heard.
In my travels throughout all the provinces of Mozambique, I have heard the dreams of many young people, from inspired teachers in Niassa to a young albino poet and composer in Nampula; from artists of Cultural Exodus in Cabo Delgado to the tufo dancers on the Island of Mozambique; from mothers in Gorongosa and Dondo; cyclists and people with disabilities in Quelimane, Beira, and Maputo, to the cooks of the school lunch program in Moamba and Matutuine.
Democracy thrives when people are heard, when we work for the well-being of the people. Let us continue to work together for a brighter, healthier, more prosperous, safer, more resilient, more democratic, and more just future for all.
Now, I ask you to raise your glasses and join me and Her Excellency Minister Lídia Cardoso in a toast:
– To the American and Mozambican people,
– To President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi and President Joseph Biden,
– And to the friendship between the Republic of Mozambique and the United States of America.
Cheers! Now, I invite Her Excellency Minister Lídia Cardoso to share a few words.
Links para os videos dos discursos e planos de corte e de artistas.
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