While Benin and the United States may appear to have few connections, Gates said he was struck by how similar the people of Benin look to many blacks in the U.S.

He said he identified with the audience at the honorary degree ceremony since he could recognize “facial types,” and was “quite overwhelm[ed]” by the symbolism of the similarity in facial features between Africans and African Americans.

“The faces of African Americans are worn on the faces of the citizens of Benin. You wouldn’t need to know that 18 percent of slaves were shipped from Benin” to make that connection, he said.

Gates praised Kerekou’s “personal reconciliation movement” which calls for African nations to apologize to African Americans for their role in the American slave trade.

He called Kerekou “a real pioneer” for trying to establish the truth about African involvement in the slave trade.