Tourism
How HBCUs Are Bringing African American Students Home to Ghana
A growing movement is connecting African American students to the African continent, and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are leading the charge.
In March 2026, a group of students from Clark Atlanta University traveled to Ghana for a seven-day immersive experience that took them from the solemn dungeons of Cape Coast Castle to the wildlife of Safari Valley.
The journey, organized through the university, reflects a broader push by HBCUs and the HBCU Africa Education Coalition to facilitate diaspora reconnection through educational travel.
For many of the students, it was their first time setting foot on the African continent.
A Journey of History and Healing
The itinerary included visits to Assin Manso, where enslaved Africans took their final bath before being marched to the coast, and Cape Coast Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site where thousands were held in darkness before being shipped across the Atlantic.
At the castle’s Door of No Return—historically the final exit for millions who never saw their homeland again—the students participated in a Returnee Ceremony, a symbolic reversal of history that welcomed them back as family rather than captives.
“They didn’t just walk out in chains. In fact, they were welcomed back,” the video documenting the trip noted.
Student Reflections
For McKenna Williamson, a junior psychology major from Clark Atlanta, the experience was deeply personal.
“I feel like I’ve really found myself here and I’m home,” she said. “I haven’t felt home in a while. And I feel like just being here and experiencing everything has just really—it’s transformational. It’s indescribable.”
Salem Margarita Walton, a third-year political science scholar, described the journey as life-changing.
“I remember the last bath and experiencing nothing like that ever,” she said. “I feel like my life has changed. I’m so grateful for this opportunity. We’ve built family. We all went to the same campus, but we are now actually meeting each other.”
Giani Malloy, a second-year fashion design major, said she gained a new perspective on community.
“I feel like the people here have a very deep sense of selflessness that I also want to bring back to my home,” she said.
A Broader Movement
The Clark Atlanta trip is part of a larger initiative facilitated by the HBCU Africa Education Coalition, which works to create pathways for HBCU students to study, travel, and connect with the continent. The coalition organizes educational tours, study abroad programs, and cultural exchanges designed to deepen ties between African Americans and Africa.
Organizers of the March trip noted that there are many more students waiting for similar opportunities. A call for donations to support the next group traveling in May has been issued, with funds going directly to student participants.
More Than a Trip
As the students departed Ghana after seven days, the journey was described not as an ending but as a beginning.
“Leaving Ghana didn’t feel the same as arriving,” the documentary narrator reflected, “because they weren’t just leaving Ghana, but they were leaving a part of themselves.”
With HBCUs and organizations like the HBCU Africa Education Coalition continuing to facilitate such experiences, more students are expected to make the journey—turning what was once a forced departure into a voluntary return.
Sights and Sounds
Dust Trails and Wild Horizons: Quad Biking Through Ghana’s Shai Hills
The first thing you notice at Shai Hills Resource Reserve is the silence — not the empty kind, but the living hush of open savannah broken by rustling grass, bird calls, and the distant rumble of quad bike engines climbing rocky terrain. Then the dust rises.
A rider speeds across a winding trail, weaving between ancient boulders and acacia trees as the late morning sun casts gold across the plains.
Less than two hours from Accra, Shai Hills offers one of Ghana’s most thrilling outdoor experiences, where wildlife, history, and adrenaline collide.
Quad biking has quickly become one of the reserve’s biggest attractions, drawing everyone from weekend adventurers and couples to international travelers searching for something beyond the beach resorts and city nightlife.
Riding Through History and Wilderness
The landscape feels cinematic. Wide grasslands stretch toward rugged hills dotted with caves once inhabited by the Shai people before colonial-era displacement in the late nineteenth century.
Along the trails, riders pass towering rock formations, grazing antelope, and the occasional troop of baboons perched watchfully along the roadside.
Quad biking here is not simply about speed. It is about immersion. The bikes carry visitors through dusty tracks scented with dry earth and wild shrubs while warm wind rushes against the skin.
Some trails snake through flatter terrain suited for beginners, while steeper rocky paths offer experienced riders a more demanding ride.
Guides often pause at scenic viewpoints overlooking the reserve, where visitors can spot zebras moving quietly through the grasslands or admire the dramatic outline of the hills against Ghana’s expansive sky.
Many tours also include visits to the famous caves, hiking stops, and photo breaks that have made Shai Hills a favourite for travel photographers and content creators.
@_amirah.x_ Will you try quad biking? 😁 #fyp ♬ original sound – ᴀᴍɪʀᴀ👑❤️ | ᴅɪɢɪᴛᴀʟ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴏʀ
The reserve’s location also makes it easy to combine with nearby attractions such as the Akosombo Dam or a relaxed riverside escape along the Volta Lake area.
Why Travelers Keep Returning
What makes quad biking at Shai Hills memorable is the contrast. One moment feels intensely wild — engines roaring through dusty wilderness — and the next is unexpectedly peaceful, with only the sound of wind moving through tall grass beneath a vast African sky.
For Ghanaians, it offers a fresh way to reconnect with landscapes often overlooked in everyday life. For international visitors, it reveals a side of Ghana rarely captured in travel brochures: adventurous, untamed, and deeply tied to history.
By the time the ride ends, riders are usually coated in dust, grinning widely, and already planning a return trip.
Sights and Sounds
Chasing Mist and Silence at Asenema Waterfall
The first thing visitors notice at Asenema Waterfall is the sound — a steady roar rolling through the trees long before the waterfall comes into view.
Then the forest suddenly opens, revealing sheets of white water tumbling over smooth rock into a cold, clear pool below. Mist hangs in the air like morning smoke, settling softly on leaves and skin, while shafts of sunlight slip through towering trees overhead.
Located in Ghana’s Eastern Region near Akyeremade, Asenema Waterfall carries a different mood from the country’s busier tourist sites.
The journey itself feels part of the experience. Visitors walk through cocoa farms, thick greenery and narrow footpaths alive with birdsong and the rustle of insects hidden in the undergrowth. The closer one gets, the cooler the air becomes. By the time the waterfall appears, the heat of the day has already begun to fade.
A Place for Adventure, Reflection and Fresh Air
Unlike steep waterfalls that crash dramatically from cliffs, Asenema spreads itself gently over layered rock formations, creating a broad curtain of flowing water.
The effect is calming rather than intimidating. Travelers often sit on nearby stones simply listening to the water strike the rocks below in rhythmic bursts.
Swimming remains one of the biggest attractions here. The natural pool beneath the falls is refreshing after the forest walk, especially during warmer months. Many visitors also bring cameras to capture the scenery — the moss-covered rocks, drifting mist and rich green backdrop create striking photographs throughout the day.
The surrounding communities add another layer to the visit. Travelers passing through nearby towns often encounter roadside fruit sellers, cocoa farms, and locals eager to share stories about the area’s traditions and landscape. For those exploring Ghana beyond Accra’s city life, Asenema offers a slower, quieter rhythm connected closely to nature.
Why Asenema Leaves a Lasting Impression
What stays with most travelers after leaving Asenema Waterfall is not only the beauty of the falls themselves, but the feeling that comes with standing there.
The cool spray, the smell of wet earth, the endless sound of moving water and the deep green forest combine into something deeply calming.
In a world crowded with noisy attractions and hurried itineraries, Asenema Waterfall reminds visitors how powerful simple natural places can still feel when experienced slowly and fully.
Taste GH
Buju Banton Can’t Get Enough of Ghanaian Food; From Fufu to Gari
Jamaican music icon Buju Banton may have spent decades travelling the world, but when it comes to comfort food, his taste buds keep returning to Africa — and especially to Ghana’s richly layered cuisine.
Asked about his favorite African foods, the reggae legend rattled off a mouthwatering list with the excitement of someone recalling cherished family meals: fufu, banku, groundnut soup, egusi stew, okra soup, and bitter leaf dishes.
Then came the detail that delighted many Ghanaian fans — he revealed he even packs a little gari while travelling, just to “munch on” between journeys.
It is easy to understand the attachment. Ghanaian food carries a deep sensory warmth that lingers long after the meal is over.
Fufu, soft and stretchy, becomes unforgettable when dipped into fragrant light soup or rich palm nut broth.
Banku brings its slightly tangy fermented flavour, pairing beautifully with pepper sauces and grilled fish. Groundnut soup delivers a silky, nutty aroma that fills a room before the first spoonful is served.
Egusi stew offers earthy melon-seed richness, while okra soup carries that comforting velvety texture loved across West Africa.
Even gari — simple cassava granules — speaks to the everyday heartbeat of Ghanaian homes, whether soaked in cold water or eaten dry as a quick snack.
For many Africans abroad, these dishes are more than food. They are memory, identity, and belonging served on a plate.
-
Ghana News1 day agoNewspaper Headlines Today: Wednesday, May 13, 2026
-
Ghana News3 hours agoNewspaper Headlines Today: Thursday, May 14, 2026
-
Business2 days agoGhana Stock Exchange Named Best Performing in Africa
-
From the Diaspora22 hours agoBlack American Expats and Investors Take Legal Action Against Portugal Over Sudden Citizenship Law Change
-
Ghana News2 hours agoMahama Chairs Meeting on Constitution Review, ECG Maintenance Across Tema, Ashanti & Western Regions, 6 New Mpox Cases and Other Big Stories in Ghana Today
-
Sights and Sounds1 day agoDust Trails and Wild Horizons: Quad Biking Through Ghana’s Shai Hills
-
Ghana News1 day agoDutch Police Detain Ghana Lawmaker at Schiphol, Parliament Seeks Answers
-
Ghana News1 day agoFuel Prices Set to Rise From May 16, Disturbing Sex Abuse Images and Other Big Stories in Ghana Today
