“The AVAA project provides an exceptional opportunity to build upon historical relationships and cultivate new partnerships between Americans and South Africans. This exhibition is not only a celebration of our shared history but also a testament to our renewed commitment to mutual engagement and cooperation, extending to the broader African continent."

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"This exhibit holds a special place in our hearts at the Kennedy Center, given our longstanding relationship with artists from South Africa, which began with the African Odyssey festival in the late '90s and continues through our World Stages programming and international festivals.

Partnering with the South African Embassy and Ambassador Barbara Masekela for the 10th- anniversary concert celebrating the end of apartheid, featuring the late Hugh Masekela, further reinforced our commitment to this enduring connection."

“This whole story is about the ties that bind.”

“The great Frederick Douglass once said, and I quote, ‘If there is no struggle, there is no progress.’ Thank you all for being a part of this incredible journey of progress.”

“It captures the rich history of the similar experiences of African Americans and black people in South Africa. This is not just an exhibition. It’s a great learning institution. It’s a reservoir of

knowledge. It’s a fountain of information and young people, in fact, will wowed by the history that is captured in the pictures that I have seen.”

“It is very very important for the younger generation to know what it took. There was no time to enjoy. It was a time to be fighting apartheid so that the future can be better than the past. ”