Hundreds of Americans decide to return to their homeland in Africa

Hundreds of African Americans who are not considered first-class citizens in the United States have decided to return to their homeland in Africa and have already been granted official citizenship in Ghana.

Various media reports say that last week, the West African country of Ghana welcomed hundreds of new citizens, the largest number in its history, who responded to a call for "Black" Americans to return home. One of those Americans is Nykisha Madison Keita of Germantown.

According to the statement, 524 African Americans were officially granted Ghanaian citizenship during ceremonies held at the Accra International Convention Center in the country's capital.

The report said that the wave of African-Americans returning to their homeland in Africa is increasing day by day.

An American who identified herself as Bowers said: "I'm an African woman, African is my identity. People look at your skin. So I didn't even need (citizenship) to tell me I'm African. I get really angry at the way people look at me wherever I go in the world because I feel like it's degrading to me. People don't look at me with the eyes of an American, they look at me with my African skin." 

He also said: "My ancestors had a dying desire to return to their homeland, Africa. But my ancestors never returned. They failed to fulfill their dying desire to return to their homeland, Africa. But I have fulfilled their dream."

The Ghanaian government has been strongly encouraging African Americans to immigrate to the country. 

Ghana recently marked the 400th anniversary of the first African slaves being forcibly transported to the United States. The government is running a "Beyond the Return" campaign, an economic initiative aimed at attracting investment from people living outside Ghana, but for many others with a history similar to Bowers and his family, it is an opportunity to reconnect with their roots.

Dejiha Gordon, another American citizen of African descent, moved to Ghana in 2019 and opened a food truck serving Jamaican cuisine.

Dejiha Gordon says: "I feel good being in Africa. Having a connection to an African country as an African, not an American, makes me very happy. Because in America, we have nothing to trace our roots to, but Africa is where our roots are. Here I believe that I have done the right thing by returning to our home in Africa."