State Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson received a high honor Saturday.

Ghanaian Bronx residents raised their hands up to Hassell-Thompson as they instated her "queen mother" of the borough. Hassell-Thompson, now known in the community as "nana," was deemed the one responsible for watching over the Ghanaian people of the Bronx during the Durbar festival.

The senator says her job is to help the children of the borough grow into the leaders of tomorrow, and part of that growth is remembering and rediscovering their ancestry.