This is a very interesting article which talks about how African Americans can connect with their roots by making a trip back to Africa. This article is written in the form of a reflection by the author who talks about comfortable he was connecting with his roots. Ghana has started a development called the year of return where it encourages black people from all over the Diaspora to visit. To commemorate the 400-year anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to English North America in 1619, President Nana Akufo-Addo has encouraged descendants of Africans who were enslaved in the Americas to return to the country. The author also talks about elements of African heritage such as the food, customs, and various traditions. The author makes an interesting claim when he says that “, I would be one drop in the sea of black people at every event I attended and in every social situation. I wouldn’t be subjected to as many off-color remarks and subtly bigoted insults. I wouldn’t have to question whether I should respond to those or stay quiet to avoid being judged through the lens of racist stereotypes. I wouldn’t wonder whether people would think I’d been hired as a token rather than for my potential” I was very glad that the author felt a sense of belonging even though he had not even stayed in the continent. I believe that efforts have to be made to ensure that Black Americans have the opportunity to connect with their roots
Definitely the return trip to Africa, more particularly to Ghana, is a topic that has been discussed by a lot of African Americans and other groups of the diaspora throughout the year of 2019. Development is being made to ensure that people of African descent have the opportunity to come back to the continent in order to emerge and connect with their roots once again. It is no surprise that some Jamaicans who are predominantly from the Akan tribe in the Ashanti Region of Ghana embrace the culture of their people. This year marks an important time in history and black people as a community should embrace this time as one of progression and unity. Through this, black people can come together as brothers and sisters to engage in activities to embrace one another’s culture.
However, this will not be possible with only a few people but the mass majority, and if possible, every single person in the diaspora. The efforts of everybody count to make this happen. As such, I definitely agree with you in the sense that black people should make this a possibility for themselves to visit the continent, and experience the culture they were birthed from.