Since becoming the first Sub-Saharan African country to win independence from a colonial power, Ghana has been an inspiration to Black Americans. Millions have made the journey across the Atlantic, whether to connect to our ancestral past, engage in cultural and educational exchanges, or most recently, participate in the 2019 Year of Return — a back to Africa movement marking 400 years since enslaved Africans arrived in the US.

For many of us, it is a brief journey, yet it informs our lives and our work when we return home. It is a part of my story, the stories of my friend and colleague Joe Brooks, and so many others. Then, there are others who decide to remain, whether encouraged by pan-African movements or to seek a better life outside the racism that permeates American society. 

On the current episode of Radical Imagination, we hear from two Black women who are among those who decided to remain: Renee Neblett, founder of Kokrobitey Institute, speaks about her 30-year relationship with Ghana and the ways in which her institute combines art, design, and sustainable development to combat environmental degradation. And Tanya C. “Sister Yaa” Saafir-Ankomah, founder of Sankofa Repatriation and the recently launched African Diaspora 126+, a lobbying organization with the goal of facilitating pathways to Ghanaian residency and citizenship for those in the Diaspora.

Take a moment to listen to their stories. You’ll be inspired by their creativity, commitment, and resilience. Then, browse through our previous episodes and discover others who push us to envision and realize a new and better world. They embody radical imagination by thinking big, demanding better, and redefining the terms of the pathway to get there. From West Oakland to Harlem, Accra to the United Kingdom, and the many places in between and beyond — we’re seeing it in action every day. 

Sincerely,

Angela