ADACI

The African Diaspora Ancestral Commemoration Institute (ADACI)

ADACI was founded in 1992 as a 501(c)(3)non-profit organization whose purpose is to institutionalize the commemoration of the millions of Africans who perished during the Atlantic and other periods of enslavement.  This mission is accomplished through the observance of ceremonies and the presentation of artistic, educational, and cultural activities which include: Youth Empowerment Workshops & Conferences; Academic & Educational Lectures; Film Festivals; Senior Citizens’ Cultural Events; and Visual and Performing Arts Presentations.

ADACI’s purpose is to:

1. Celebrate the extraordinary collective fortitude that has sustained Africans and their descendants through this massive loss;
2. Examine and better understand all the circumstances that led to and sustained this loss so that it will never happen again;
3. Acknowledge and strengthen a common bond that connects Africans around the world; and
4. Reaffirm the ability of Africans and their descendants to overcome obstacles of enormous magnitude as Africans have in the past, and fortify the inherent strength of Africans that has enabled continued advancement. This reaffirmation is intended to serve as a catalyst in the development of a course of action to remove barriers to our self-determination.

We acknowledge our Ancestors in a progressive way through the Annual International African Diaspora Ancestral Commemoration, one of the primary activities of the Institute. The commemoration activities provide people of African descent the opportunity to:

• Spiritually Unite with Africans throughout the world in honoring those who came before us in prayer through an Ancestral Memorial Service;
• Celebrate and Give Thanks to the African Ancestors for contributions they have made to the world;
• Reaffirm the faith in the African collective, our commitment to our children of African descent, and our collective future; and
• Assess the many implications of the loss of Africans during the slave trades and commit to never allowing such a travesty to ever happen again, at any time, in any form.

Hence, as a community-based spiritual organization, ADACI creates innovative programs using the arts and education as powerful tools for transformation and spiritual development. A central part of ADACI’s tradition is the creation of ancestral/ commemorative altars which reflect the particular theme of the program being presented; the altar building component of ADACI’s events is in keeping with the organization’s purpose of honoring ancestors, for which is a unique application for utilizing altars.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., USA, ADACI established relationships with several grassroots organizations in Benin, Cuba, Ghana, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago.  In addition, there are two Continental African Chapters, ADACI-Senegal (est. 1993) and ADACI-Nigeria (est. 2004).

ADACI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
under the Internal Revenue Code of the United States of America.
All contributions are tax-deductible.