From historical events, Africans suffered chronic oppression and discrimination. Africans in the diaspora following the end of the slave trade returned home to fulfill the promise of dignity, freedom, and growth.
They came independently looking for a more accepting setting to achieve their objectives. In addition, they want a nation free of racism as well as slavery where they would feel at home.
Ghana has been an outspoken advocate for better ties between Africa and the African diaspora. Ghana seized an exceptional chance to advance social justice, promote equity, and promote healing for African communities around the world.
In September 2018, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo launched a program in the United States for Africans in the Diaspora. The program “Year of Return, Ghana 2019” was established to unite Africans who were displaced due to the slave trade with their loved ones.
As part of a celebration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first group of enslaved Africans in America, President Nana Akufo-Addo declared 2019 the “Year of Return” This is to bring together Africans on the continent and their relatives in the diaspora new life.
“We know of the remarkable achievements and contributions Africans in the diaspora made to the lives of the Americans, and we celebrate their existence and their sacrifices,” President Akufo-Addo remarked at the occasion.
At least 1,500 African Americans have relocated to Ghana since 2019 and more have relocated since then. The program has inspired many Africans to embark on the journey to return.
In 2020, Ghana’s government launched the “Beyond the Return” initiative. The ten-year initiative will focus on a decade of the African rebirth (2020-2030).
According to Clifford Ato Ashun, a senior member of the Ghanaian Museums and Monuments Board, the initiative is still having great success.
The two initiatives have truly made a significant contribution to the arrival of the African diaspora, particularly to visit Ghana and the slave dungeons.
The former fort had an infamous “door of no return,” through which hundreds of thousands of slaves passed, never to return home. It is the last stop for travelers who are touring Cape Coast Castle.
Tour guides now let tourists exit and re-enter the same gate, but this time they see a new plaque that reads the “door of Return.” It is a sign that Africans in the diaspora are always welcome to return to the continent — a place they may call home.
Being African-American has the paradoxical effect of occupying locations where Africans are not considered citizens. Amber Walker, a media practitioner, told Africa Renewal “I love the concept of Ghana taking the lead in assisting African-Americans in claiming their ancestral place, It’s a good start.”
