30 March 2018
Salute to Greatness Award and the MLK Nonviolence Awards are the two highest awards offered by the King Center. There’s nothing like black history award from the King Center. The only recognized black history award is offered by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH organization).
This organization established the Award of Special Recognition to acknowledge the contributions of individuals, institutions and corporations that make a substantial contribution to the success of ASALH in pursuing the mission of its founder, Dr. Carter G. Woodson and in honor of the black history month. These events are held here in the United States. In most cases the President of the United States have a tradition for attending this events.
I was surprised to read that a group of black Americans travelled to Nigeria to offer our President an award. Black history awards are reserved exclusively for African Americans and Children of Black slaves. It is an award that honors those who successfully brake through the chains of slavery. Maybe it is another award they gave Buhari, but it will be laughable that a leader whose generations have no link to slavery will be offered black history award. The organizers should have been wise enough to use another name for the award and Martin Luther king name should not have been mentioned at all.
What a national embarrassment, the King Center Atlanta has dissociated herself from the award. I feel sad! Am very surprised, Africans and awards especially when the word America is included!
But why do this to an unsuspecting President? God save Nigeria!
Princewill Odidi
Writes from Atlanta, Georgia
