Accra, Ghana / Lincoln University, Pennsylvania – Lincoln University has abruptly cancelled a scheduled visit by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, during which he was to receive an honorary doctorate in recognition of his global leadership and advocacy for reparatory justice for the transatlantic slave trade.

The university announced the cancellation on March 21, 2026, citing “unforeseen circumstances.”

The visit had been planned for March 26, 2026, and was expected to include the formal conferment of the honorary degree at the historic institution — one of the oldest HBCUs in the United States and alma mater of Ghana’s founding President, Kwame Nkrumah.

In an earlier statement, Lincoln University President Brenda A. Allen had described the honour as both timely and symbolic, noting that it would reaffirm historic ties between the university and Ghana while inspiring a new generation of global changemakers. A senior member of the Pan-Africana Studies Department had framed the planned event as a continuation of Nkrumah’s vision, highlighting Mahama’s leadership in advancing the global reparations agenda.

The cancellation occurs while President Mahama is in New York preparing for high-level engagements at the United Nations, including efforts to table a resolution before the General Assembly seeking formal recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity.

The university’s brief statement provided no further explanation. However, the sudden reversal has triggered speculation in sections of the Ghanaian media, with some outlets linking it to possible concerns over the President’s perceived position on Ghana’s Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.

Despite the cancellation, the broader diplomatic significance of Mahama’s current visit to the United States remains intact. Ghana, in collaboration with the African Union and CARICOM partners, continues to rally international support for its reparatory justice resolution, which is scheduled for formal tabling at the UN General Assembly on March 25, 2026.

Lincoln University has a long-standing tradition of honouring African and diaspora leaders committed to social justice, education, and Pan-African ideals. The planned recognition of President Mahama had been viewed as consistent with that legacy.

No new date for the visit or conferment has been announced.

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Prominent American civil rights attorney Ben Crump will participate in a high-level United Nations panel discussion on reparatory justice for the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of Africans, scheduled for Wednesday, March 25, 2026, coinciding with the lead-up to the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery.

In an Instagram post announcing his involvement, Crump described the event as a critical platform to confront the historical debt owed to millions of Africans and their descendants.

“I’m honored to join global leaders at a United Nations panel tomorrow to discuss reparatory justice for the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of Africans,” he wrote. “The debt of history is real, and justice demands we confront it with courage and commitment.”

The panel forms part of a special United Nations General Assembly session focused on reparations, during which Ghana — acting as lead coordinator for the African Union — is expected to formally table a landmark draft resolution. The resolution seeks to declare the transatlantic slave trade and the racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as “the gravest crime against humanity ever committed,” with no statute of limitations.

Ghana’s initiative, supported by the African Union, CARICOM, and several international partners, calls for:

– Formal recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity

– Mandatory global education initiatives to accurately teach this history

– Structured international dialogue on reparatory measures, including financial compensation, technology transfer, debt relief, and restitution of cultural artefacts

– Concerted global action to combat ongoing racial discrimination and Afrophobia rooted in the legacy of slavery

Crump’s participation is widely seen as a significant boost to the campaign, bringing the moral authority and legal expertise of one of America’s foremost civil rights advocates to the international stage.

His involvement underscores the growing convergence between the African-American struggle for racial justice and the broader global reparations movement led by African and Caribbean nations.

The event will be streamed live via the United Nations Web TV platform.

Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has described the upcoming session as a historic opportunity to move from symbolic acknowledgment to concrete reparatory justice.

The resolution has already received endorsements from several nations, including Brazil, and is expected to attract broad support from the Global South.