World African Diaspora Union (WADU)

P.O. Box 115073                   Atlanta, GA 30310-0095

           404-527-7756/404-822-2049/WADUPAM.ORG           8/13/2009

My Dear Sisters and Brothers:

My heart and mind were deeply moved by the support you gave WADU at our summit in Atlanta on July 2009. Asanta sana (many thanks) to the honorable guests, the speakers, the participants, and supporters (who could not attend) representing all walks and geography of African life. One could not fail to realize that both your attendance and spirited involvement revealed that we continue to uphold the same traditional flame of freedom that has persisted throughout the Pan African Movement in its indomitable march through history.

Together we demonstrated the definition of freedom, the right to choose and the ability to resist anything that attempts to destroy that right the enslaved Africans did not have. Over many years, I have watched the embers of that flame ebb and smoulder but never die, it will never die as long as sisters and brothers like us continue to believe in ourselves, in our power to unite for the common purpose of black empowerment, respecting the messages of our leaders and history, acknowledge our own achievements with the fearless determination to change the present global order based on greed, materialism and prejudice to one of justice and equality for all.

I left that meeting with a comfortable assurance that each of you, are true leaders of a movement that has carried us far along the way to success. That is why you came, each of you, to fulfill our destiny. Clearly, anything or any person that seeks to divide us must be rejected.

My message of thanks to you includes my personal appeal as a veteran Pan Africanist to teach our youth of today their past history of yesterday and their potential of today that their days after tomorrow can be better if they take their responsibility into their own hands and acknowledge their duty to a united Africa, as our real Motherland.

Now, ask yourselves, how much of you are in Africa and how much of Africa is in you? True leadership distinguishes itself by how far we diminish the ego in ourselves so as to improve our ability to inspire in others, especially in the young, their own self-esteem in the struggle that continues. Until we see each other again, continue building WADU and Pan Africanism. Once more, I thank you all for your hard work, your dedication and your contributions to WADU. I love you dearly.

Dudley Thompson,

President

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