Legendary songwriter Desmond Child emotionally appealed for the Parthenon Sculptures’ return to Greece at The National Hellenic Society (NHS) Heritage Weekend held in Nashville, Tennessee last weekend.
It’s “a crime against humanity!” Desmond Child told Greek Reporter after he was honored by the NHS for his remarkable efforts in advocating for the repatriation of the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece. This special recognition took place during a magical Greek Night at the replica of the Parthenon in Nashville.
“I am so in love with Greece that the return of the Sculptures is very important to me, its embedded in my heart,” Child said. “I am dedicated to do whatever I can to bring them home.”
Child, who recently held a concert in Greece in support of the cause, plans to hold another concert in the Greek capital next year and perhaps one in London in the future to raise awareness of the issue or celebrate the Sculptures’ return.
“The Parthenon is one of the wonders of the world,” Child says as he points to the replica in Nashville. “It belongs to the world.”
Desmond Child: Parthenon Sculptures theft, a crime against humanity
“It’s a crime against humanity for the Sculptures not to be together to be seen and enjoyed as a single beautiful piece. I call it a prayer wrapped in marble, and the prayer will not be fulfilled until all the pieces are brought back together.”
Child who has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and has won a Latin Grammy Award, told Greek Reporter that he has been visiting Greece for 16 years after he fell in love with the island of Folegandros. “It’s a home away from home.”
Replying to a question about perhaps becoming an honorary Greek, he replied: “You won’t be able to get rid of me!”
NHS honorees at Nashville
Another honoree at the Heritage Weekend was Peter Parthenis Sr., a longtime member of the organization, who founded Grecian Delight Inc., a company destined to change the American food industry.
Greek-American actress Melina Kanakiridis was the third person honored.
The core program of NHS is the Heritage Greece Program, a two-week cultural and educational immersion odyssey for accomplished Greek American college students who share their experiences with a peer group of exceptional students from the American College of Greece (ACG) in Athens, or the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) in Thessaloniki.
In the summer of 2024, 125 students took the opportunity to visit the land of their ancestors.
“We’ve always had the idea that there’s so many Greek-Americans in different generations, first, second, third, fourth, fifth, maybe even sixth generation, that don’t have a close tie to Greece, and so what we’ve tried to do with this program is allow those students to, for many, go to Greece for the first time, explore why it’s an important part of their heritage,” Chair Drake Behrakis told Greek Reporter.