Idris Elba and Sheryl Lee Ralph accompanies Kamala Harris to Ghana
In Ghana, Vice President Kamala Harris shocked bystanders when she visited a small recording studio with two well-known actors. As part of the vice president’s seven-day trip to Africa, Idris Elba and Sheryl Lee Ralph joined Harris on Monday to explore the Vibrate Space community recording studio in Accra, Ghana.
According to the vice president’s office, the purpose of the event was to draw attention to the expanding creative economy in Africa and the connections between African and American artists. Harris visited the workspace and spoke with aspiring creatives.
While Elba and Ralph’s presence was unexpected, Harris’ trip had been planned in advance.
Ralph’s work on the ABC comedy “Abbott Elementary” earned her an Emmy, one of the highest accolades in television. Elba is a well-known actor in both television and movies. He played enduring characters on “Luther,” for which he won a Golden Globe, and on HBO’s “The Wire.”
Ralph spoke to a group of young Ghanaian artists and media representatives before performing, singing the opening stanza of Dianne Reeves’ song “Endangered Species” amid cheers.
After the event, British actor Idris Elba, whose mother is Ghanaian, spoke to reporters and claimed that Africa had the “greatest growth potential in the entire world.”
The actor claimed he wants to continue funding movies in Ghana, where he has already made seven investments.
Elba was asked if Harris would be a “good” president, to which he responded, “Of course.”
As the first Black woman and vice president of the United States, Harris’ visit to Africa is an opportunity for Joe Biden’s running mate to enhance her reputation in international affairs and raise her profile in advance of an anticipated reelection effort in 2024.
Presidents Harris and Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana met separately earlier on Monday to address matters such as security, human rights, advancing democracy, and lowering the federal debt.
In her speech at the presidential palace, Harris emphasised the connections between the two countries and made reference to a 2019 event that aimed to entice people from the African diaspora to travel to the continent. In order to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans’ arrival in what would eventually become the US, hundreds of Black Americans travelled to Ghana that year for the “Year of the Return.”
Next up for Harris is a trip to Tanzania and Zambia.
