There's a long history of African Americans settling in Ghana or keeping in close contact with the first African country to gain independence. This relationship has most recently been exemplified by musician Stevie Wonder taking up Ghanaian citizenship . Ghana, which gained independence in 1957 , became a beacon for African Americans disenchanted with their country's racial problems.
Ghana's first prime minister, the pan-Africanist Kwame Nkrumah , was notable for forging links between Africans on the continent and those in the African diaspora. Escaping segregation, discrimination and other forms of marginalisation and racial injustice, African Americans looked to Africa. Others excited by the change brought by decolonisation saw a chance to contribute to the land of their ancestors.
There has been a spike of interest in Ghana recently, with some reports indicating that around 1,500 have relocated there since 2019. Part of my work as a professor of history has been to study the relationship between African Americans and the African continent. My book, African Americans and Africa: A New History , explores these long-standing links and a shared past that for many lives on today.
In this article I explain how these feelings have been rekindled and are pushing African Americans towards the continent once again. The historical lens Enslaved Africans brought as captives to the United States, beginning in the 17th century, brought with them a part of their "Africa". Many manifestat.
