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par Magisha Group ltdCAMEROON–US CULTURAL TIES: FREEDOM 250 EXHIBITION OPENS AT NATIONAL MUSEUM IN YAOUNDÉ
YAOUNDÉ, August 28, 2026 — The National Museum in Yaoundé has opened the Freedom 250 Fair and Founders Museum Exhibition, bringing together Cameroonian and American historical narratives in a celebration of freedom, leadership, citizenship, culture and nation-building.
The exhibition, organized to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, was officially launched Friday in the presence of Cameroon’s Minister of Arts and Culture, Professor Pierre Ismaël Bidoung Mkpatt, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Sarah Troutman, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires a.i. John Robinson, representatives of the Smithsonian Institution and the Founders Museum, cultural stakeholders, students and members of the public.
🏛️ A BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO HISTORIES
Speaking during the ceremony, the Acting Director of the National Museum, Etta Ojang Ivan, said the choice of the museum was particularly meaningful because museums are not simply places where historical objects are preserved.
“A museum is not merely a place where objects are preserved. It is a space where memories are safeguarded, issues are interpreted, knowledge is transmitted, and above all, where people and cultures meet and engage in dialogue.”
Etta Ojang also drew attention to Cameroon’s own historical memory, recalling the National Museum’s dedicated space featuring major figures of Cameroon’s history, including Rudolf Douala Manga Bell, Martin-Paul Samba, Ahmadou Ahidjo, Ernest Ouandié and John Ngu Foncha.
He stressed that the exhibition does not seek to equate these Cameroonian figures with the American Founding Fathers, but rather to demonstrate that every nation has individuals and communities whose actions and sacrifices have shaped its historical journey.
“Museums have a responsibility not only to preserve the past, but also to make it accessible and meaningful to younger generations so that history can inform citizenship, strengthen identity, and inspire the construction of the future.”
🇺🇸 SARAH TROUTMAN: “BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO EXCHANGE IDEAS”
For U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Sarah Troutman, hosting the exhibition at the National Museum is particularly fitting.
“Museums preserve the stories that shape nations. They also give us a place to revisit those stories, ask questions, and consider what they mean for the future.”
Troutman highlighted several Freedom 250 activities organized across Cameroon, including business engagements in Douala, educational exchanges between students in Ngaoundéré and Pennsylvania, discussions at the International Relations Institute of Cameroon and programmes at American Spaces.
She described the initiatives as different in form but united by one objective:
“Different programs, different cities, different audiences, but a common purpose: bringing people together to exchange ideas.”
Addressing young people, Troutman encouraged visitors to actively engage with the exhibition rather than simply observe it.
“Read. Question. Discuss. Compare what you encounter with your own history and perspectives. That is how an exhibition becomes an exchange.”
🇨🇲 BIDOUNG MKPATT: “A SPACE FOR HISTORICAL DIALOGUE”
Cameroon’s Minister of Arts and Culture, Professor Pierre Ismaël Bidoung Mkpatt, described the exhibition as an important milestone in the cultural relationship between Cameroon and the United States.
“Today, we are not simply opening an exhibition about American history, we are creating a space for historical dialogue between Cameroon and the United States.”
The Minister said Cameroon–U.S. relations have increasingly expanded beyond political and economic cooperation to include culture, heritage, creative industries and people-to-people exchanges.
He recalled cooperation between the two countries in the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural property and emphasized the importance of protecting Cameroon’s heritage as a component of collective memory and national identity.
Bidoung Mkpatt also highlighted cultural exchange programmes that have connected Cameroonian professionals with American institutions and networks.
His message was clear:
“Our cultural cooperation must be reciprocal.”
The Minister expressed the hope that the exhibition would lead to new museum partnerships, stronger cooperation in heritage preservation and restitution, and greater opportunities for artists and cultural professionals.
📚 SIX WEEKS OF AMERICAN HISTORY
The Founders Museum Exhibition will run for six weeks at the National Museum in Yaoundé.
Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the people and events associated with the founding of the United States, while the accompanying Freedom 250 Fair will offer an American History Reading Lounge and interactive activities.
Beyond celebrating 250 years of American history, the exhibition is designed to stimulate conversations around questions that extend beyond national borders:
What does freedom mean? What are the responsibilities of citizenship? How are nations built? And what role can young people play in shaping the future?
For Cameroon and the United States, the exhibition represents another opportunity to use culture and historical memory as instruments of dialogue and friendship.
As the Acting Director of the National Museum put it, the exhibition should become:
“A window to the history of the United States, but also a bridge between our two peoples.”
