Center to Care for Historic Sister City Relationship with Ghana

FREDERICKSBURG, VA – Friday, November 17, 2006-- The Center for African American Genealogical Research, Inc. (CAAGRI) has announced that it will grow the historic relationship between the City of Fredericksburg, Virginia and Princess Town, Ghana (formerly Ft. Gross Friedrichsburg, Ghana). A formal proclamation signing ceremony will be held on Monday, December 18, 2006 at 11:00 am on the campus of the University of Mary Washington at the Woodard Center located in Fredericksburg, VA.

The relationship is historic as no other city in the Commonwealth of Virginia has ever adopted a city in Africa that was actively involved in the slave trade some 400 years ago. Virginia was the largest slave holding state in the country during this period of time. The delegation that will travel from Princess Town, Ghana to Fredericksburg, VA includes the Chief of Princess Town, Nana Ndama Kundumoa IV, Nana Aziz Koomson, Augustine Yaw, Kaku Alluade and Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, Mr. Joe Baidoo-Ansah. U.S. Ambassador Pamela Bridgewater and Ghanaian Ambassador Kwame Edusei will also attend. “This Sister City partnership is not traditional to the concept of a “Sister City” and I think that’s why the Fredericksburg City Council unanimously voted in favor of our proposal” said Paula D.

Royster, President & CEO of CAAGRI. Royster continued “We will actually have a physical location in Princess Town to nurture and grow the relationship.” Adolf Obeng, CAAGRI’s Director of International Affairs and a native of Ghana stated: “I’ve always wanted to do something special for Ghana that makes a real difference and I am glad that the opportunity has presented itself for me to do just that.”

The City will also honor Her Excellency and native Fredericksburgian, Ambassador Pamela Bridgewater during the ceremony. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please call CAAGRI at 540.785.9925 or email: info@caagri.org About The Center for African American Genealogical Research, Inc. (CAAGRI) www.caagri.org

Founded in 2004, The Center for African American Genealogical Research, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides free genealogical data to the community at no cost. The only organization of its kind, CAAGRI has Technical Learning Center’s (TLC) located at the Bragg Hill Family Life Center in Fredericksburg, VA; William Byrd Community House in Richmond, VA, Riter C. Hulsey Public Library in Terrell, TX and A Servant’s Heart in Bakersfield, CA.