We always hear about the uglier side of African vs African-American relations, but here's some good news.
Can't wait to head to Africa with the bestie. We've already begun planning.
Ghana Welcomes African Americans Back Home
Four centuries ago Africans were taken from the Ghanaian coast and shipped to the Americas, and now 400 years later the country is calling her descendants back home.
At a luncheon on Sept. 28, American and Ghanaian dignitaries, Pan African advocates, spiritual leaders and the President of Ghana His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, launched The Year of Return Ghana 2019.
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) under the Auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture along with the Office of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President, the PANAFEST Foundation and the Adinkra Group of USA hosted the program at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
The goal is to get African Americans to return to Ghana and have a transformative experience of connecting with the continent from which they were taken 400 years ago.
President and CEO of the Adinkra Group, Diallo Sumbry explained that the collaboration with Ghana should ?have an impact at least nine generations deep,? and if not, ?then we?re making a serious misstep right now,? Sumbry said. ?We have an opportunity. It takes work, it takes commitment and it takes sacrifice.?
The President of Ghana dedicated ?the ceremony to the memory of the prodigal son,? because he was lost and found. As the leader of Ghana, the President welcomed the lost children of Africa and people of any descent seeking to learn more about the country?s rich history. He also said he would try to ensure that the acquisition of visas becomes easier.
The President and other dignitaries, like Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wisconsin) and Rep. Sheila Jackson- Lee (D- Texas), mentioned the importance of welcoming people of all races to see the important sites in Ghana.
?I will imagine, that when the return starts, there will not [only] be people who look like me, and in this nation I hope that America will rise to the point where we glorify in each other?s history,? Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas) told the crowd. The Texas congresswoman rushed to the National Press Club after having been in a Senate Judiciary committee listening to critical testimonies and debates and voting on the decision to do an FBI investigation into Judge Brett Kavanaugh?s sexual harassment allegations.
As someone who studied abroad in Ghana, Jackson-Lee said that those who have the opportunity to return there are bound to have a transformational experience.
?Those who have never been- that if they go- there?ll be a certain coming of age, that will be grander than we?ve ever imagined,? she said.
More @
https://afro.com/ghana-welcomes-african-americans-back-home/
