So many across the world, especially Black Americans, travel to Africa looking to connect with their roots and culture.
Robin Roberts and “Black Panther” star Danai Gurira visited Ghana to explore the coastal capital city, Accra.
Nipah Dennis/AP Images for Good Morning AmeriGood Morning America’s Robin Roberts (left) pose for a photograph with Danai Gurira (right) at the SandBox Beach Club on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 in Accra, Ghana. (Nipah Dennis AP Images for Good Morning America)
In 1957, Ghana became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence from colonial rulers. Since then, the country has been leading the charge to make sure Africa is led by Africans and promoting the message of Pan-Africanism.
Reconnect with history
More than 33 million people live in Ghana and, recently, an influx of Black Americans have moved to the country. The group often refers to themselves as “repatriates” instead of expatriates, because some believe they are returning to their ancestral home, according to research done by the Pulitzer Center, which conducted a project that looked at the reasons why Black Americans left the United States to live in Ghana.
The project found that the upsides include a lower cost of living, but lack of job opportunities, less modern health care systems and language barriers prove a challenge.
“But overall, the Black Americans who move to Ghana say they feel a sense of freedom not having to think about race,” said Lottie Joiner, the researcher and grantee of the project.
A famous example of a “repatriate” is NAACP founder W.E.B Du Bois who, after spending a lifetime fighting for equality on behalf of Black Americans, moved to Ghana at the age of 93; he died there in 1963.
Nipah Dennis/AP Images for Good Morning AmericaGood Morning America’s Robin Roberts (left) performs traditional dances with dancers at the Accra Art Centre, on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 in Accra, Ghana. (Nipah Dennis AP Images for Good Morning America)
Nipah Dennis/AP Images for Good Morning AmericaGood Morning America’s Robin Roberts (right) interacts with traditional dancers at the Accra Art Center on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 in Accra, Ghana. (Nipah Dennis AP Images for Good Morning America)
Rebecca Akufo-Addo has held the position of first lady of Ghana since 2017.
See the capital
Accra is the capital and the largest city of Ghana and stands as the administrative, economic and educational center of the country, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica.
While visiting, sightseers can visit Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, which is a memorial for Ghana’s first president. Nearby, visitors can find the Black Star Square, also known as Independence Square, which hosts annual independence celebrations. Robin Roberts, Danai Gurira and second lady Samira Bawumia visited the monument.
Nipah Dennis/AP Images for Good Morning AmericaGood Morning America’s Robin Roberts (right) reacts to meeting Samira Bawumia (left), Second Lady of Ghana and Danai Gurira (middle) at the Black Star Square on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 in Accra, Ghana. (Nipah Dennis AP Images for Good Morning America)
Nipah Dennis/AP Images for Good Morning AmeriGood Morning America’s Robin Roberts reacts to meeting Samira Bawumia, Second Lady of Ghana and Danai Gurira at the Black Star Square on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 in Accra, Ghana. (Nipah Dennis AP Images for Good Morning America)
Source | Goodmorningamerica.com