August 29, 2025 • 10 mins
Dr. Vanessa Tyler discusses the growing trend of Black Americans emigrating to Africa. She speaks with people who have moved to Ghana and are helping to build infrastructure and support outreach to Black Americans here at home. They discuss Ghana's Cultural Oneness Festival, an annual festival that helps to promote cultural awareness and unity through traditions, art and music.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
It's time to go home.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Your culture, your tradition identifies you. It tells you who you are and what you are.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Making the case to journey to Africa. Paramount Chief Buipewura Jinapor II
from Ghana, his personal visit to America really illustrates the
importance of the mission.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
It isn't that We ask you to come there for tourism.
You will come there and do business.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
A call to all Black people to connect to Africa.
Where else but in Black land.
African Royalty is entering His Royal Majesty Buipe Jinapor the second.
He is the Paramount Chief of the Buipe Traditional Area
(00:50):
in Ghana and Vice President of the National House of Chiefs.
He's here in America, ceremoniously strolling in waving in a
meeting room in Harlem, invited by the Harlem Tourism Board
to reinforce a connection to the continent and a reconnection
to our roots.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Well, we'll talk of culture, they will talk of origin.
It identifies you.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Paramount Chief Jinapor spoke with me about the loss felt
in the soil of those taken to a foreign land
and how he sees in America our constant fight for
justice and inclusion. But in Africa there is the open
arms of opportunity.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
The change is coming. The change is coming.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
The Royal Chief says time for change for Africa and
for us. He invites us home during the upcoming Oneness
Festival set to take place in Ghana this December.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
It isn't that we asked you to come there for tourism.
You'll come there and do business. You'll come there and
establish businesses. You will come there and stay.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
It's just a welcoming, you know, kind of you can
leave your door open type of vibe. Not that you
want to do that, but it's just a vibe. It's
a frequency, it's a love. And when they see us
as black Americans coming, you know, many of them welcome us,
you know, home, because they know what we went through
for centuries in America.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Chief Martin Glin is now just visiting America, his former home.
He moved to Ghana where he was made a chief.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Sona is my chieftaincy name because I was enskinned as
a chief in northern Ghana.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So now is that normal for people from America to
go to Ghana and become a chief.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
It's actually not normal. So to be a chief is
to accept responsibility to develop or do something for the community.
So when I originally came, we were developing. We were
teaching entrepreneurship with the plans of creating a trade school
to teach financial literacy and to help develop the community
in various different ways. So with that, you know, I
(02:57):
was inskinned as a chief for accepting that responsibility.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
What's the experience been like, I know you mentioned that
you and your family moved from America to Ghana. What's
that been like.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
It's, you know, it's it's very inviting. Ghana is a
country that welcomes you. So there's been a it's a
lot of positive realities, just to be honest, but there
is challenges. Right there's the language barrier. So where we're
at in northern Ghana they speak Dagbani. The Dagomba people
speak Dagbani, so we have to learn the language in
(03:27):
that aspect. But other than that, it's it's it's peaceful
in Ghana. It's very peaceful. People are very loving and
you feel free.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Feel free, what do you mean.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Well, you know, being raised in the United States, it's
a beautiful country. But we know we have a lot
of challenges with crime, violence, things of that nature, and
you want to trap yourself in the house sometimes. You know,
even my children were homeschooled, so there is just a
more free you don't see the crime, you don't see
you know, a lot of the negatives that we have
(04:01):
in the United States, but a lot of them look
up to us because they see us as black people
that we survived slavery, we made it through the civil
rights movement, we made it through such turbulent times, and
now we're thriving. You know, the average income for even
somebody that's middle class in the United States, you can
live very well in a country like Ghana.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
You hear today, especially under this current administration, a lot
of African Americans talking about leaving the country and possibly
returning home to Africa. Is that something that you're seeing
or you're seeing increasing people applying or at least trying
to move to Africa, to Ghana.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Yeah, we definitely are seeing an increase in that. And
you know, the reality is it is our ancestral homeland
and so us being connected with the chiefs like Chief
Buipewura Jinapor the second that came here to Harlem. They control land
right and they are open the doors and opening arms
(05:00):
to us that was scattered abroad. So yeah, there's a
lot of Black Americans that are starting to inquire. I
even have family members that out of the blue saying, oh,
you might be onto something. We might have to move
one day. You know, it's a reality, and it's something
that's always been there and unfortunately sometimes it takes you know, chaotic,
turbulent times to open our eyes. But that's why we're here.
(05:22):
That's why we have this festival, and we have something
called the Ancestral Homes Project, which is a project that's
building homes for us to come and live on the
continent and be a part of the community and to
help develop the community and.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
To invest
the Ancestral Homes Project ready for African Americans to return.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
So what we've done, and by me being a chief
in Northern Ghana, my paramount chief has opened the door
and he's granted land for to bring the brother's home.
As he said, go bring the brothers home, you know,
and the land is set aside for us to build
and to develop.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
This misconception going on that we don't like each other
and all that, and we created this. It is important
for us to experience each other even in Africa. The
honest to this, we are not even more, we are
not visible to each other in Africa, and Africa is
way bigger than all the continents on Earth even combined together.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Tengol Kplemani along with Chief Sona are co partners of the
Taste of Africa, a Gana based cultural organization, and they
are partners in the upcoming Cultural Oneness Festival.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
I don't want to be racial person or racist and
all that, but other people they have a home even
before America being their home, and they have somewhere they
can That is why you label yourself African Americans. You
are Africans living in America.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
For those who experience going to Ghana, they talk about
the welcome, the naming ceremonies, and visits to the Palace
to stand before African queens and kings. Many Black Americans
get very emotional being on African soil the minute their
plane touches the ground. Rashid Bahati tells me he is
(07:08):
now doing his business in Africa. The founder of the
Bahati Foundation. He sees opportunities in the creative industries film, fashion, television, movies,
and especially African music.
Speaker 5 (07:23):
Just recently, the Grammys here in the States have now
started recognizing what they call afrobeats music coming out of Africa,
and now it's on the world stage and being recognized
as a category within the Grammys.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Now do you see Ghana in Africa in general as
a great investment for African Americans.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
At this particular point in history. I think we're at
a unique time and space. Actually, as I told you,
I live in Los Angeles, but I've been going back
and forth to Africa probably since the early two thousands,
and my experience has been and that things that are happening,
the political climate, the geopolitical climate that's happening in the
(08:06):
world right now, we as African people that are here
in the States, we should be focusing our attention on
the continent. I just met some brothers from Savannah, Georgia
actually that are working on a port project with one
of the western countries in West Africa, a deep sea
(08:29):
port where ships can come all the way up to
the land. Right now, a lot of these countries, the
ships can't come that close to port. They have to
be out and then little barges go out to the
ship and bring whatever in. But they're building a deep
sea port in one of the West African countries is
going to be one of the first and these are
African Americans. So that's what I'm saying. The opportunity and
(08:51):
this is a gateway project. It will open up the
opportunities for AI for you know, transportation, you name, it
will come out of things like that. So there's a
lot of opportunities.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
As Tengol of the cultural oneness festival ads, we must
at least explore the possibilities. What will happen to African
Americans if we do not connect with people in Africa.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Then you would have no home. That is what is
going to happen. You might think you have a home. It
is like an ai atificial intelligence. You are living in
an artificial reality thinking it is real, but it's not.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Paramount Chief Jinipor. The second wraps up our discussion with
the parable of the situation Africans and African Americans find
ourselves in today.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
I think there and there's an old adage that when
you take a single step, broom you can't break it. But
when there are many breaking, it is difficult.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
We didn't break on the journey here and we can't
break now.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
When Africa unites we will be changing the world.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Ready to go back. The Oneness Festival in Africa, a
multi day cultural experience December sixth through the fourteenth in Ghana.
Go to Culturaloneness dot com for more. I'm Vanessa Tyler.
Join me next time on black Land.
It's time to go home.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Your culture, your tradition identifies you. It tells you who you are and what you are.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Making the case to journey to Africa. Paramount Chief Buipewura Jinapor II
from Ghana, his personal visit to America really illustrates the
importance of the mission.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
It isn't that We ask you to come there for tourism.
You will come there and do business.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
A call to all Black people to connect to Africa.
Where else but in Black land.
African Royalty is entering His Royal Majesty Buipe Jinapor the second.
He is the Paramount Chief of the Buipe Traditional Area
(00:50):
in Ghana and Vice President of the National House of Chiefs.
He's here in America, ceremoniously strolling in waving in a
meeting room in Harlem, invited by the Harlem Tourism Board
to reinforce a connection to the continent and a reconnection
to our roots.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Well, we'll talk of culture, they will talk of origin.
It identifies you.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Paramount Chief Jinapor spoke with me about the loss felt
in the soil of those taken to a foreign land
and how he sees in America our constant fight for
justice and inclusion. But in Africa there is the open
arms of opportunity.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
The change is coming. The change is coming.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
The Royal Chief says time for change for Africa and
for us. He invites us home during the upcoming Oneness
Festival set to take place in Ghana this December.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
It isn't that we asked you to come there for tourism.
You'll come there and do business. You'll come there and
establish businesses. You will come there and stay.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
It's just a welcoming, you know, kind of you can
leave your door open type of vibe. Not that you
want to do that, but it's just a vibe. It's
a frequency, it's a love. And when they see us
as black Americans coming, you know, many of them welcome us,
you know, home, because they know what we went through
for centuries in America.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Chief Martin Glin is now just visiting America, his former home.
He moved to Ghana where he was made a chief.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Sona is my chieftaincy name because I was enskinned as
a chief in northern Ghana.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So now is that normal for people from America to
go to Ghana and become a chief.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
It's actually not normal. So to be a chief is
to accept responsibility to develop or do something for the community.
So when I originally came, we were developing. We were
teaching entrepreneurship with the plans of creating a trade school
to teach financial literacy and to help develop the community
in various different ways. So with that, you know, I
(02:57):
was inskinned as a chief for accepting that responsibility.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
What's the experience been like, I know you mentioned that
you and your family moved from America to Ghana. What's
that been like.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
It's, you know, it's it's very inviting. Ghana is a
country that welcomes you. So there's been a it's a
lot of positive realities, just to be honest, but there
is challenges. Right there's the language barrier. So where we're
at in northern Ghana they speak Dagbani. The Dagomba people
speak Dagbani, so we have to learn the language in
(03:27):
that aspect. But other than that, it's it's it's peaceful
in Ghana. It's very peaceful. People are very loving and
you feel free.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Feel free, what do you mean.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Well, you know, being raised in the United States, it's
a beautiful country. But we know we have a lot
of challenges with crime, violence, things of that nature, and
you want to trap yourself in the house sometimes. You know,
even my children were homeschooled, so there is just a
more free you don't see the crime, you don't see
you know, a lot of the negatives that we have
(04:01):
in the United States, but a lot of them look
up to us because they see us as black people
that we survived slavery, we made it through the civil
rights movement, we made it through such turbulent times, and
now we're thriving. You know, the average income for even
somebody that's middle class in the United States, you can
live very well in a country like Ghana.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
You hear today, especially under this current administration, a lot
of African Americans talking about leaving the country and possibly
returning home to Africa. Is that something that you're seeing
or you're seeing increasing people applying or at least trying
to move to Africa, to Ghana.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Yeah, we definitely are seeing an increase in that. And
you know, the reality is it is our ancestral homeland
and so us being connected with the chiefs like Chief
Buipewura Jinapor the second that came here to Harlem. They control land
right and they are open the doors and opening arms
(05:00):
to us that was scattered abroad. So yeah, there's a
lot of Black Americans that are starting to inquire. I
even have family members that out of the blue saying, oh,
you might be onto something. We might have to move
one day. You know, it's a reality, and it's something
that's always been there and unfortunately sometimes it takes you know, chaotic,
turbulent times to open our eyes. But that's why we're here.
(05:22):
That's why we have this festival, and we have something
called the Ancestral Homes Project, which is a project that's
building homes for us to come and live on the
continent and be a part of the community and to
help develop the community and.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
To invest
the Ancestral Homes Project ready for African Americans to return.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
So what we've done, and by me being a chief
in Northern Ghana, my paramount chief has opened the door
and he's granted land for to bring the brother's home.
As he said, go bring the brothers home, you know,
and the land is set aside for us to build
and to develop.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
This misconception going on that we don't like each other
and all that, and we created this. It is important
for us to experience each other even in Africa. The
honest to this, we are not even more, we are
not visible to each other in Africa, and Africa is
way bigger than all the continents on Earth even combined together.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Tengol Kplemani along with Chief Sona are co partners of the
Taste of Africa, a Gana based cultural organization, and they
are partners in the upcoming Cultural Oneness Festival.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
I don't want to be racial person or racist and
all that, but other people they have a home even
before America being their home, and they have somewhere they
can That is why you label yourself African Americans. You
are Africans living in America.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
For those who experience going to Ghana, they talk about
the welcome, the naming ceremonies, and visits to the Palace
to stand before African queens and kings. Many Black Americans
get very emotional being on African soil the minute their
plane touches the ground. Rashid Bahati tells me he is
(07:08):
now doing his business in Africa. The founder of the
Bahati Foundation. He sees opportunities in the creative industries film, fashion, television, movies,
and especially African music.
Speaker 5 (07:23):
Just recently, the Grammys here in the States have now
started recognizing what they call afrobeats music coming out of Africa,
and now it's on the world stage and being recognized
as a category within the Grammys.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Now do you see Ghana in Africa in general as
a great investment for African Americans.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
At this particular point in history. I think we're at
a unique time and space. Actually, as I told you,
I live in Los Angeles, but I've been going back
and forth to Africa probably since the early two thousands,
and my experience has been and that things that are happening,
the political climate, the geopolitical climate that's happening in the
(08:06):
world right now, we as African people that are here
in the States, we should be focusing our attention on
the continent. I just met some brothers from Savannah, Georgia
actually that are working on a port project with one
of the western countries in West Africa, a deep sea
(08:29):
port where ships can come all the way up to
the land. Right now, a lot of these countries, the
ships can't come that close to port. They have to
be out and then little barges go out to the
ship and bring whatever in. But they're building a deep
sea port in one of the West African countries is
going to be one of the first and these are
African Americans. So that's what I'm saying. The opportunity and
(08:51):
this is a gateway project. It will open up the
opportunities for AI for you know, transportation, you name, it
will come out of things like that. So there's a
lot of opportunities.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
As Tengol of the cultural oneness festival ads, we must
at least explore the possibilities. What will happen to African
Americans if we do not connect with people in Africa.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Then you would have no home. That is what is
going to happen. You might think you have a home. It
is like an ai atificial intelligence. You are living in
an artificial reality thinking it is real, but it's not.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Paramount Chief Jinipor. The second wraps up our discussion with
the parable of the situation Africans and African Americans find
ourselves in today.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
I think there and there's an old adage that when
you take a single step, broom you can't break it. But
when there are many breaking, it is difficult.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
We didn't break on the journey here and we can't
break now.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
When Africa unites we will be changing the world.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Ready to go back. The Oneness Festival in Africa, a
multi day cultural experience December sixth through the fourteenth in Ghana.
Go to Culturaloneness dot com for more. I'm Vanessa Tyler.
Join me next time on black Land.
Host
Vanessa Tyler
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