Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, was full of optimism in her address to Ghana’s Parliament—despite the somber event the U.S. congressional delegation is here to commemorate. U.S. Congress members are visiting Ghana this week to observe the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first African slaves in Jamestown, Virginia.

African-Americans have been encouraged to visit Ghana during the “Year of Return,” a campaign started by President Nana Akufo-Addo, in which descendants of slaves may honor their historical roots.

 “What a beautiful gesture,” said Pelosi. “To turn the memory of such horror into a spiritual homecoming.”

This past weekend, the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus visited the Elmina Castle at the Cape Coast, in which thousands of slaves were imprisoned, and stood before the “Door of No Return” at Cape Coast Castle, where countless Africans last stepped foot on their home continent before being kidnapped to the Americas.

Among the delegation were House Majority Whip James Clyburn, Congressional Black Caucus chairwoman Karen Bass, and House representative John Lewis.

Lewis played an integral role in the civil rights movement in the United States, as one of the 13 original Freedom Riders and a close friend of Martin Luther King’s. In 1957, Martin Luther King was present for Ghana’s birth as an independent nation, stating, “Ghana tells us the forces of the universe are on the side of justice.”

While Pelosi did not become overtly political in her speech, she announced a few pressing objectives for both Ghana and the U.S.—specifically, healthcare and environmental justice.

“We salute your leadership in the Paris Climate Accord, and the work you have done to lower your emissions,” she said.

The United States controversially withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord in June 2017 under Donald Trump’s direction. Trump claimed the agreement would “undermine the (U.S.) economy” and put the country at a “permanent disadvantage.” In response, Pelosi and other House Democrats unveiled the “Climate Action Now Act” in March of this year in an attempt to block Trump from pulling out of the agreement.

Congresswoman Pelosi has been openly critical of Donald Trump, even claiming he should be in prison, according to reports from Politico. Still, her hesitancy to impeach the U.S. president has drawn sharp criticism from the further-left members of the Democratic Party.

One such member, newly-elected Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, was present at Pelosi’s speech today. Omar and Pelosi have publicly disagreed on issues regarding impeachment, border control funding, and Omar’s comments on foreign relations with Israel.

Last week, in a string of tweets, Donald Trump urged Somali-born Omar and other newly-elected minority congresswomen “go back” to where they came from. Pelosi denounced the tweets as “deeply divisive and racist.”

Some audience members of Pelosi’s speech felt that she glossed over large issues, which have arisen during Trump’s presidency.

Samuel Okudzeto, a ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, complained that immigration was not brought up once during the address.

“I must say I was quite disappointed with (issues) she didn’t speak to, which is the visa restrictions against Ghana,” said Okudzeto. “I’m getting reports of many Ghanaians who aren’t being treated fairly when going for renewal.”

In February, the U.S. attempted to deport 4,000 Ghanaians from its borders—when Ghana refused to accept the return of the immigrants, the U.S. embassy placed visa restrictions on Ghana.

  “It’s clear that Ghana-US relations under President Trump are not the way we used to be, and we need to confront that,” said Okudzeto.

Okudzeto hoped that Pelosi would speak on Trump’s “hardline-immigration policies,” he said. Although he respects the high-ranking officials who made the visit, Okudzeto worried that symbolic gestures may not be enough.

Other invitees to the address felt more optimistic about the visit. Thomas Mensah, a Ghanaian-American inventor and biochemist, said it was clear that Pelosi is “serious about a partnership with Ghana.”

“I was especially touched by the pictures of Pelosi from this weekend,” said Mensah. Photos published by The Graphic show Pelosi and fellow congress members participating in a symbolic hand-washing ritual, using water from the Assin Manso River, the final place where captured slaves were able to bathe before being marched to Elmina Castle.

“For her, as a white woman, to do that, meant a lot to me,” said Mensah.

At a time when the U.S. is brewing with racial tensions, immigration issues, and a divided government, the visit to acknowledge America’s past in Africa feels especially poignant. Both Ghanaians and Americans will have to wait to see if the symbolic measures of the past week are followed up by tangible ones.