While President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Angola in October, a delegation from the African nation visited Hampton this week to formalize a sister city relationship.
The “twinning” of Hampton and Malanje, Angola, marks the fifth sister city that Hampton has partnered with since the program began nationally in 1956 – and the second from the African continent.
Hampton Vice Mayor Jimmy Gray said the ceremony marked the solidification of a relationship that started 405 years ago.
“It’s a long-awaited signing agreement that we’ve all been working on and planning for a long time,” said Gray, who traveled to Angola earlier this year. “The real work begins now with putting together or creating opportunities for cultural and economic exchanges, educational exchanges, between us and them.”
The ties between Hampton and Malanje date back to 1619, when the first African people brought to English-speaking North America landed at Old Point Comfort, now known as Fort Monroe. Those first people were taken from Malanje Province prior to sailing across the Atlantic.
“This was such a historic moment for both of my countries,” said Wanda Tucker, who traces her lineage to a family who were made to take that voyage. “We share a common history … and a common future.”
Malanje Gov. Marcos Nhunga was part of the Angolan delegation, signing the now-official sister city agreement across the table from Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck. Nhunga called the opportunity “an honor.”
“This is going to bring benefits to both sides, in terms of economic, socioeconomic development and cultural development,” Nhunga said.
Included in the Angolan delegation was Dionísio Fonseca, minister of administration and territory. He called the occasion a “very special moment” to look to the past while working together toward a mutually beneficial future.
“It is about Angolans coming to Hampton and people from Hampton … going to Angola to know Angola, know Angolan people, know Angolan culture, inter-exchange views (and) culture, training our youth,” Fonseca said.
In addition to cultural exchange, economic development was a key focus for Angolan officials. More than 60% of the nation’s population are under the age of 40.
Fonseca hopes the partnership can spur mutual investment in both directions, as well as improve opportunities for education and training for young Angolans.
“We will want American universities to be in Angola as well to help us to build up our human capital,” Fonseca said. “We are now about 33 million people and by 2050 we’re going to be around 67 million people. We have to be able to provide services, provide goods, to sustain all these populations.”
It’s something that Project 1619 Board Member Venita Benitez was anxious to see more planning on as well.
“When they say economic development, what are you actually saying for the city – for both cities?”
The event brought out more than government dignitaries and sister city representatives. Members of the William Tucker 1624 Society and Project 1619 were there in numbers to witness the signing.
Project 1619 Board Member Larry “Kamau” Gibson called it a “sacred moment.”
“Just like the minister (Fonseca) said about not having that piece of paper just gathering dust, we want to put some meat to it and allow our peoples to become really one in heart, one in mind,” he said. “It’s far past time.”
