Tourism
African-Americans Share Why They Chose Ghana For Good: ‘People Went Out In Chains, We Came Back In Crowns’
Ghana’s landmark “Year of Return” campaign continues to reshape the country’s relationship with the African diaspora. A growing number of African-Americans are now investing, settling, and building new lives in the West African nation.
A new BBC World Service documentary, The Return, explores this accelerating migration — one rooted in history, identity, and a search for home.
The documentary opens in Cape Coast, where the haunting stone walls of Cape Coast Castle still hold the memory of millions of enslaved Africans forced through its “Door of No Return.” For many African-Americans visiting Ghana, that doorway is not just a symbol of the past, but a point of reconnection.
“It’s always a gut-wrenching experience,” the narrator says, standing on the castle’s worn white grounds. “But for Black people from the U.S., visiting a place like this can take on a whole new level of significance.”
That significance is precisely what Ghana tapped into in 2019 with the launch of the Year of Return, a government-backed initiative inviting descendants of the transatlantic slave trade to reconnect with the continent — and, for many, to come home. The campaign sparked a wave of pilgrimages, emotional homecomings, and eventually, permanent relocations.
“When they said, ‘Black people, come back,’ it hit me deeply,” one returnee explains in the documentary. “People went out in chains. We want them to come back in crowns.”
According to available data, more than 1,500 African-Americans have since moved to Ghana permanently. The number is expected to rise under the government’s ongoing 10-year Beyond the Return program.
Among them is Dr. Ashley Milton, an environmental scientist from Los Angeles who now lives in Accra’s lively Kuku Hill neighborhood. She narrates much of the documentary, offering both personal insight and professional perspective.
The documentary also features the story of Morris Beers, who moved from Los Angeles in 2020. His turning point came during a conversation in the U.S.
“Someone told me, ‘If you feel that strongly about Africa, why don’t you go live there?’” he recalled. “I thought about it and said, ‘You know what — I love it there. I can live there. No problem.’”
For many, the decision to relocate is about far more than geography. It is a reclaiming of identity, a rejection of racial hostility in the U.S., and a search for a community that feels like home.
But the documentary does not romanticize the journey. It acknowledges adjustment challenges, cultural gaps, and the emotional weight of confronting the past in places like Cape Coast Castle, where one returnee described feeling as though “the ancestors were searing into my body.”
Still, the migration trend is unmistakable, and growing.
Ghana’s government sees it not only as a cultural opportunity, but as an economic and diplomatic one, strengthening ties between Africa and its global diaspora.
The riveting documentary reflects how what began as a symbolic homecoming has evolved into one of the most significant diasporan movements of the 21st century.
The new movement is a modern return through the same doorway that once marked a point of no return.
Compact, filling and made from one of West Africa’s most treasured grains, Kapala shows how Ghanaian food traditions turn simple ingredients into practical nourishment for everyday life.
Known as millet balls, Kapala is prepared by cooking millet and moulding it into firm, round shapes.
The result is a humble food with a pleasantly grainy texture and a mild, earthy flavour that allows it to pair beautifully with a variety of accompaniments.
A Taste of Ghanaian Food Heritage
Kapala’s appeal lies in its versatility. It can be served alongside soup, where the millet balls provide a satisfying base for a hearty meal, or enjoyed with milk for a simpler combination.
For those who prefer a savoury kick, a spicy groundnut-based sauce offers a delicious contrast, bringing creamy nuttiness and heat to the grain’s gentle flavour.
Millet has long been valued in parts of Ghana and across West Africa, particularly in communities where traditional grains remain important to everyday cooking.
Kapala reflects a practical approach to food: preparing a staple that can be carried easily and eaten when needed.
For farmers heading to their fields, its compact shape makes it convenient to transport and consume during a demanding working day. It is a reminder that traditional food can be both culturally meaningful and adapted to the realities of rural life.
Nourishment in Every Bite
Millet provides carbohydrates for energy, along with dietary fibre, minerals and other nutrients.
Its fibre content can support digestive health, while its carbohydrates help fuel physical activity. The overall nutritional value of Kapala depends on how it is prepared and what accompanies it.
For international visitors exploring Ghanaian cuisine, Kapala offers an opportunity to appreciate the ingenuity behind everyday local foods. Its simplicity is part of its charm: a familiar grain transformed into a portable, nourishing staple.
In every rounded ball is a story of resourcefulness, agricultural heritage and the enduring connection between Ghanaian food and daily life.
A child searching for their first picture book, a university student hunting for a prescribed textbook or a reader hoping to find their next favourite novel can all begin their search at the same place: EPP BookShop at Legon City Mall.
Located at 7 Lagoon Street, off Giffard Road, the Legon branch brings together books for different ages, interests and stages of learning.
Its appeal lies in the range of titles available, making it a useful stop for families preparing children for school, students pursuing higher education and readers looking beyond the classroom.
From a Small Accra Shop to a Growing Book Business
EPP Books began in 1991 as a modest bookshop in Accra, occupying a space of no more than 20 square metres.
Over the years, it grew into a chain with branches across the West African sub-region, expanding its reach beyond its original location.
That journey reflects the continuing need for accessible books in homes, schools and educational institutions.
For many learners, textbooks and supplementary readers are essential tools, while novels and self-help books offer opportunities for entertainment, personal growth and discovery.
Books for Different Stages of Life
At the Legon branch, the selection spans preschool materials, children’s readers, school curriculum books, secondary-school textbooks and university-level titles. Customers can also browse bestselling novels and books on personal development.
EPP BookShop serves both retail and wholesale customers, giving individual readers and organisations options for purchasing books. If a particular title is unavailable on the shelves, the shop can also arrange to order it.
For residents, students and visitors in the Legon area, the branch offers more than a place to buy reading materials. It provides a practical starting point for the search for knowledge, whether that begins with a child’s first schoolbook or a reader’s next literary adventure.
From a steaming bowl of fufu and soup to the irresistible aroma of kelewele fresh from the frying pan, Ghanaian food offers more than comfort and flavour.
When balanced well, it can also provide many of the nutrients the body needs to thrive.
Traditional Ghanaian cuisine draws heavily on natural ingredients, including yam, plantain, beans, fish, groundnuts and leafy vegetables.
These foods supply energy, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Kontomire stew, okro soup and garden eggs bring colour and nutrients to the table, while fish and legumes offer protein.
Spices and seasonings give dishes their distinctive character, making everyday meals deeply satisfying.
Waakye, the much-loved combination of rice and beans, illustrates this potential. Paired with vegetables, fish or eggs, it can provide a satisfying mix of carbohydrates, protein and fibre.
Yet the nutritional value depends on portion sizes and the amount of oil, salt and rich accompaniments added.
When Tradition Needs Balance
Palm oil gives dishes such as red red their familiar colour and taste. It also contains vitamin E and carotenoids, which the body can convert into vitamin A. However, it is high in saturated fat, so using moderate amounts and avoiding repeated overheating are sensible choices.
Portion sizes matter, too. Meals dominated by large servings of fufu, banku, rice or yam, with little vegetables or protein, may make it harder to maintain a balanced diet over time.
Meanwhile, instant noodles, sugary drinks and heavily processed snacks are increasingly competing with home-cooked meals. Frequent consumption can contribute to excessive sugar, salt and calorie intake.
Keeping Ghanaian Food Healthy
The answer is not to abandon beloved local dishes, but to prepare and serve them thoughtfully.
Enjoy reasonable portions of starchy staples, add generous vegetables, include beans, fish or other protein sources, and use oil and salt sparingly.
Ghanaian food can be both delicious and nourishing. The secret lies in balance, variety and preserving the best of local cooking while making choices that support long-term health.
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