Beyond the Return Q &A: Black Americans in Ghana #7

As I meet various Black Americans living or visiting Ghana, I will ask each guest 4 questions regarding their stay in Ghana. Each question is geared to help our international and domestic audience create an experience in Ghana that will be fulfilling and rewarding for everyone involved. We believe this series will help improve Ghana / Black American relations and continue to allow Ghana to be a lighthouse for members of the Diaspora worldwide.

Today's guest is Venice Scott. Venice is an American citizen living in New York, born in Jamaica. Venice shares "I visited Ghana June 2019 for 2 weeks. I’ve always wanted to visit the motherland and deep within my soul I felt Ghana should be my first encounter with Africa. The year of return was significant in my visit and Ghana did not disappoint! I am officially in love with the culture, the people and the land".

1. Most Pleasant Surprise

Being born in Jamaica, I was surprised about how much it reminded me of home. I felt like I was looking at my people, when they spoke pidgin it reminded me of patois and of course the music made me feel at home. I was amazed at the real estate in Ghana and felt a big motivation to give back to the country and people. I stayed at both hotel and Airbnb and I had great experiences at both locations.

2. Biggest Disappointment

I really didn’t spend enough time on this trip to say I was disappointed I am not a stranger to these conditions being born in a third world country. However my visit to James town was extremely heartbreaking. On one hand it was good seeing the good nature of the people and how they manage to pass time day by day through their daily hustle. But on the other hand it was hard seeing the living conditions. Ghana has everything ! Oil, bauxite, Gold, real estate and to see that citizens are deprived of these resources was highly disappointing.

3. One Positive Tip

Ghana is huge! There is so much to see and do. The drive along the coast is amazing, The market is a must visit, the fruits are fresh and in complete abundance, the Kraft market and bartering was educational and fun, the beaches are lovely, the night life is indescribable, the food is out of this world. There was something to do every single day!

4. One Tip of Caution

This was hard, because honestly my experience on this trip was seamless. The only thing is if visiting make sure you have essentials such as Benadryl and Imodium. The food is lovely ad the spices are not that hot, however the spices can mess with your digestive system. Be cautious where you purchase your food.

Have you or someone you know visited Ghana, and would like to be apart of our on going series "Beyond the Return, Black Americans in Ghana" ? Answer the four questions above and send a high-quality photo of you In Ghana (preferably horizontal. (Only you in the photo, no kids, no pets, no spouse) to my Instagram page www.instagram.com/Rashad_McCrorey and I just may include you next article. We may not be able to use every submission or post your article in a timely manner but we will create as many articles as we can and post them as often as we can.