Ambassador's Speeches

First Anniversary Celebration of the  American Corner Espace Gorongobou
Remarks by Ambassador Terence McCulley
May 14, 2008

(as prepared for delivery)

Yer metirio, war ga sa bu?

War hubòrò diyo ga sa bu?

M. the Governor, M. the Director General of the Institut de Formation des Maitres, M. the librarian, dear teachers and students, mesdames and messieurs, it is an honor and a privilege for me to join you today to celebrate the first anniversary of the opening of the American Corner Gorongobou.

This past year has been an eventful one in American-Malian relations.  Our growing bilateral cooperation in the areas of education, development, security training, and cultural and educational exchange throughout the eight regions of Mali has been further complemented by the excellent work undertaken by our partners here in Gao at the American Corner.  The support provided by the Governor and all of the leaders in Gao, coupled with the excellent initiatives and programs managed by IFM Director M. Missilimi Halidou and American Corner Director M. Habib Kouyate, have resulted in deeper and more meaningful exchange and understanding between the people of Gao and the United States of America.  My deepest thanks to M. Halidou and M. Kouyate for all of your hard work and dedication.  My thanks also to my colleague, Boubacar Diallo, and Peace Corps Volunteer Sarah Mangrem who have provided guidance and encouragement in the areas of programming and resource management.

It is truly wonderful to hear of the many activities that have occurred here at the American Center over the past year.  Many of these programs would not have been possible without the interest and commitment of three new associations  -- the Association Friends of Gorongobou, the English Club, and the Club Martin Luther King.  I understand that the Club Martin Luther King has been instrumental in the preparation of this anniversary celebration and I look forward to seeing their play in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. later in the program.

As the Ambassador of the United States of America, I am always honored to pay tribute to one of our country’s most prominent and inspiring leaders.  President Bush recently reminded all Americans that “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. changed our Nation forever through his leadership, service, and clarity of vision… In the brief time Dr. King walked upon this earth, he devoted his life to strengthening the content of the American character and called on our Nation to live up to its founding principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all its citizens.. Through his determination, spirit, and resolve, Dr. King helped lift souls and lead one of the greatest movements for equality and freedom in history.”

Americans remember the assassination of Martin Luther King 40 years ago as a shock that forced the nation to confront the dilemma of its racial divide.  The murder of Martin Luther King sparked riots in Washington and more than 100 other American cities, threatening to turn a peaceful struggle of African Americans into a violent racial confrontation.  Through the grace of God and the determination of heroic peoples of all colors, Americans overcame the temptation to answer violence with violence, and instead worked together to find ways to confront squarely, but peacefully, the contradiction between our American ideals and the reality of segregation and inequality.

Thanks to the committed work of civil rights activists like Dr. King and the people who followed in his footsteps, the United States has come a long way to realizing the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Black secondary school graduation rates have nearly tripled since 1966, and the rate of poverty has been nearly halved in that time. The expansion of the black middle class is a widely noted social development, as are the many successful entrepreneurs, scholars and literary and artistic achievers who are African American.  As personified by General Colin Powell, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, talk show host Oprah Winfrey, and Presidential-candidate Barak Obama, African-Americans continue to achieve new heights of leadership and influence in the areas of entertainment, diplomacy, military, politics and the law.

Truly, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. changed the face of the United States, but, as we see here in Gao, his inspirational leadership is remembered around the globe. Even on the day of his “I Have A Dream” speech, when he was talking to Americans in particular, Dr. King was conscious of the worldwide impact of the march and its message. “As television beamed the image of this extraordinary gathering across the borders and oceans,” he said on recalling the occasion of his speech, “everyone who believed in man's capacity to better himself had a moment of inspiration and confidence in the future of the human race.”

Looking out at this distinguished audience gives me inspiration and confidence in the future of Mali.  While I know that the Northern regions of this great country are faced by the threat of violence and economic under-development, I know that you, like Dr. King and his followers, will also find a way to deal with every challenge in a manner befitting the descendants of Emperor Askia Mohamed the Great and his circle of wise men, known as the “Gorongobou.”  May the example of your Malian heroes and our American wise men guide you as you move forward in support of the development of Gao, the North, and all of Mali.  And as you do so, be assured of the constant support and friendship of the American people.

Thank you.