Ghana’s Year of Return 2019: All The Facts You Need To Know
The Year of Return is a series of events held in Ghana in 2019 to encourage people of African descent in the diaspora to visit Ghana.
Here’s what you should know about this historical initiative.
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1. The Year of Return was first held in 2019
Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo officially announced the Year of Return during a ceremony held in Washington, DC in September 2018 . The year 2019 was chosen to commemorate 400 years since the arrival of a slave ship in Jamestown, Virginia. 1619 is considered as the beginning of the slave trade in the United States, but hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans had been brought to the Americas prior to 1619.
2. This is not the first time that Ghanaian leaders reach out to the African diaspora
The term “African diaspora” can have several meanings. Most often, it is used to talk about the descendants of the enslaved Africans who were taken to the Americas against their will during the TransAtlantic Slave Trade. Ghana is located in West Africa and it was an important region in the slave trade. It is estimated that 75% of the slave dungeons in West Africa were located in Ghana. Over the years, Ghanaian leaders have implemented policies to encourage the African diaspora to visit the country.
- Before Ghana’s independence, Ghanaian political leaders reached out to the African Diaspora.
- Kwame Nkrumah, the first Prime Minister and President of Ghana, believed that Africans should unite politically and economically. He invited to Ghana African-American intellectuals such as W.E.B Dubois and Dr. Martin Luther King.
- In the 90s, Ghana became the first African country to officially commemorate the abolition of slavery.
- In 2000, Ghana adopted a new immigration law that includes the “Right of Abode”. This policy allows people of African descent in the diaspora to live in, and travel to and from Ghana “without let or hindrance”.
- In 2007, Ghana launched the Joseph Project, “a series of activities, actions and interactions” to inspire Africans in the diaspora to go back to Ghana. One of the goals of the project was to establish Ghana as the ” gateway to the homeland”.
3. The Year Of Return Was Marked By Many Events
Throughout the year, different events and activities were held in Ghana to mark the Year of Return. Visitors could attend music festivals, conferences, and other festivities, including:
- This is New Africa (TINA) Festival: a music festival held in January to promote the Afrobeats musical genre and featuring a kente party, a market fair and evening concert.
- The Acces Music in Africa Conference: a pan-African conference for the music industry held in November. The conference featured speakers and participants from all over Africa such as Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie and Nigerian artist Banky W.
- The Essence Full Circle Festival organized by Boris Kodjoe, Nicole Ari Parker, Bozoma St John, and others. Boris Kodjoe explained that the purpose of this event is to “give people who have a platform the opportunity to experience Africa authentically and personally.” This event shows invited guests different aspects of Ghana such as the slave dungeons, the nightlife, and the monuments.
- Other events organized in 2019 for the Year of Return include the African Culture And Wellness Festival, the PanAfrican Student Forum, Ghana Independence Day celebration, Black History Month With The African American Association Of Ghana, Back2Africa Festival, and Afrochella. A complete list of events is available on the Year of Return website.
4. The Year of Return was a marketing success
Thousands of people from the African diaspora, including from the United States, visited Ghana in 2019 as a result of the Year of Return campaign. At least 290 groups across the United States organized a trip to Ghana.
The Year of Return events boosted the Ghanaian tourism sector and stimulated economic growth during the year 2019. The Ghana Consulate in Houston even faced a temporary shortage of visas in late November, probably due to the rising popularity of Ghana as a travel destination. Several African-American celebrities documented their visit on social media including Steve Harvey, Anthony Anderson, Jidenna, Cari Champion, Michael Jai White, Djimon Honsou, Rosario Dawson, and many more. In November, Ghana granted citizenship to 126 African-Americans and Afro-Caribbeans.
