In August 2022, Kwame was invited by the Josiah Henson African Canadian Museum (formerly known as Uncle Tom’s Cabin) to be a part of their name change ceremony/Emancipation Day Celebration. He was honoured to share some insight about his design process for the 2022 Black History Commemorative coin with the Royal Canadian Mint, and its significance to Canadian history and identity. 

This coin represents the dismissal and erasure of our ancestors’ stories. One such story is that of Josiah Henson. His story will continue to live on through the artwork of the Black Canadian Diaspora and incredible events such as this. 

I remember chatting with Kwame shortly after he returned from this event and sharing all the details with me as I was unable to attend. He shared that the event was enlightening and he felt a great sense of pride, humility, gratitude and community. It was unwavering. Through all of the stories shared, he gained new insight and awareness about our ancestors’ plight and triumphs on their journey to freedom.