Returning Means Everything
Exactly one week has passed since I stepped from the African soil, onto a plane, and in pursuit to return home to the United States. Ironically enough, I already feel as though I have returned to my home, not here in the United States, but to Africa- to Ghana. Quickly being catapulted back into being a minority, my feelings and experiences in Ghana have been illuminated even more. As I internally reflect and externally try to describe my 12 days of fulfillment, self-actualization, and pride that I felt in Ghana, my words fail me. I physically want to shake myself in order for the perfect words and phrases to eloquently fall from my tongue and describe my experience, but I know my mind, my words, and my heart are still processing the beautiful and life changing time I had. I am patient with them, because I may never be able to truly define what this trip meant to me. So, where my vernacular fails me, I have simply been saying to others that my time in Ghana has been amazing and it is just too hard to explain it in a few sentences. A dissertation or book may grasp what I want to say.
To return home to Africa meant everything to me; a 25-year-old, rural Georgia raised black girl. A journey of this magnitude that evoked every part of me can best be described through my five senses. In Ghana, what I SAW was hustle. There is something to be said about people who wake with the sun but do not set with it. The work, the selling, and the hustle and bustle of the markets and people along the streets seemed to never stop. The strong family businesses that I saw operating in the Kente Village and at Cedi Beads was innovative and something beautiful to see as each family member knew the ins and outs of the business and were all willing to work together to perpetuate the legacy of their family. I also saw beauty. Living in America, the view that is portrayed of Africa is everything but what I witnessed. Beautiful land. Beautiful people. It’s almost as if Africa’s beauty is a secret until those who are lucky enough to visit discover its treasure; and I wholeheartedly consider myself to be one of the lucky ones.
In Ghana, I FELT pride and strength. The minute I stepped from the plane; my spirit resonated with the place. A friend told me that we must give our bodies, hearts, and minds enough credit to know when we physically feel the energy and vibrations of a place that we belong. So, I am giving credit where it is due in knowing that this was an actual return home for me. There was such a feeling of family and hospitality from everyone that I met. When I heard “Akwaaba” ring through my ears, I truly felt welcomed. I felt pride as a I looked around and was not a minority for once in my life.
Beautiful, dark, rich in spirit, Ghanaian people surrounded me every day. One minor change in history could have so easily placed me on the continent and them in America. However, despite that, we are one. With that being said, you can only imagine how much pride I felt each time I was told by the locals that I looked like a Ghanaian. I was truly among my “brothas” and my “sistas.” In Ghana, I TASTED the food and culture. I know there are coves of knowledge and years of recipes, traditions, songs, and dances handed down from generation to generation through the oral tradition. In Ghana, I HEARD the history, the real history; not the other knowledge that is taught to us in such a lackluster way in school.
Visiting the slave dungeons in Cape Coast was so heavy for me. The juxtaposition of emotions was over-powering. As I stood there, I saw such a beautiful view of the beach, the boats, and the landscape, but so many terrible acts took place there just years ago. Standing in the same space that my ancestors suffered and died in gave me a new perspective on everything that I have ever read in a history book. I was literally standing on history and metaphorically standing on the shoulders of the strong, courageous, and resilient people before me. I am because they were. In Ghana, I SMELLED the future. I smelled the grind and hope of a progressive Africa when we all unite.
Most importantly, I walked away from this trip with a piece of my heart intertwined on the continent and the other piece of my heart ready to do the necessary work here in the United States to spread the knowledge of pan-Africanism. This trip with 3GC Inc. was a God opportunity and everything came full circle for this African girl living in America. This journey home made me feel so small in only the best ways possible. It is all bigger than me. There is so much of the world to see, so many people to meet, so many people to help, and so much more life to live. Until we meet again, Africa. Thank you for welcoming me back. It is never a goodbye, but a see you later. Yebehyia biom!
All of my love,
Ciara Afia Danielle Miller, Graduate Student Hampton University