This year marks 400 years since African slaves in Ghana first arrived in America. To commemorate that milestone, the NAACP announced a special 'Jamestown to Jamestown' Initiative that will pay respect to those who unknowingly broke barriers centuries ago.
"Jamestown to Jamestown represents one of the most powerful moments in the history of the Black Experience," NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in the March news release. "We are now able to actualize the healing and collective unity so many generations have worked to achieve in ways which bring power to our communities in America, Africa and throughout our Diaspora."
Starting August 18, individuals can travel by bus from Washington, D.C., to Jamestown, Virginia, to take part in a prayer vigil and candle lighting ceremony to honor the enslaved. Attendees will return to the nation's capital for another event at the famed Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture before jetting off to Ghana on a seven to 10-day trip of what organizers describe as a "rich cultural, spiritual and cathartic experiences designed to connect our present to our African past in ways to empower and invigorate the continued struggle for full liberation and justice worldwide."
Jamestown also happens to be a neighborhood in the Accra neighborhood of Ghana.
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Many already see Ghana as a premier travel destination. However, this event is meant to furthermore entice Black Americans to visit the West African nation.
Interested parties can visit the official Jamestown to Jamestown website for more information and to register for the once-in-a-lifetime excursion.
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