When I started really looking into how I was going to make my West African Coast Dream Trip come true the first place that I had my heart set on was Lagos, Nigeria. The main reasons were: I’d been binging Nigerian content on Netflix and it looked lit, I’d heard Jay Z say “Lagos” in a Beyonce song and if they’re going you know it’s gotta be good and the DNA company, 23 And Me, insisted the majority of my ancestry was from Nigeria (even though we know those findings have been proven to be inaccurate and faulty, most especially for customers of African descent).

I absolutely love to plan my travel journeys but I quickly became overwhelmed when it came to putting together a plan for discovering Nigeria. I know very few people who have traveled to Africa and most of them are White people who went on a religious mission or volunteer trip. I was looking for a vibe that was way less rooted in “How can I help here?” and way more curious about “What can I learn here?”.

I was going to Africa to party, dine, dance and soak up African culture. I wanted to learn African history from the source. 17 years of American schooling never taught me about the massive continent where over 12% of the country shares its ancestral origin and 100% of the country shares in the history created when the European chattel slave industry began over 400 years ago. There was history I feel like I needed to face, history that made my heart heavy and my soul weary. But there was also African history I feel like I deserved and needed to know to create a complete picture about the contributions of my ancestors in science, literature, technology and culture. I was going to Africa to reinforce my Black Pride from the Roots UP!!

I know that my desire to return to Africa has so much to do with my years long healing around race and my ability to heal from being raised “Color Blind” with no anchor in the stories and memories of my ancestors or elders and nothing to be proud of beyond my ability to prop up a false sense of high self esteem. I’m also turning 40 in 2024 and I feel the milestone already bringing in another sweet wave of self-love and self-confidence. I can’t help but be curious about the culture and country where my ancestors lived just a few grandparents ago. I’m falling in love with my Blackness and I’m going to the source!

Normally my go to and all time favorite travel buddy is my husband but he is White and the purpose of my trip has so much to do with Black Pride. He understands what this trip means to me and has the understanding and wisdom to be excited for my journey from back home. Because I had decided to travel solo I started to research groups and Black groups specifically. I loved the idea of meeting kindred spirits in fellow Black travelers and making making friends for life. Some of my closets friends of all time were met while I was running around discovering some incredible places.

WHERE TO GO IN WEST AFRICA?

After a fair amount of research I began to notice more trips headed to Ghana than Nigeria. I also noticed exciting trips to other West African countries like Senegal, Benin and Togo. I had options when it came to tours with Black folk and it made me really excited. After talking to some family members who travel to Africa for pleasure they clarified that while both Nigeria and Ghana are lovely, Ghana currently has a more user friendly infrastructure and a culture of hospitality and tourist care. The two groups that caught my eye were Urban Global Events and Jet Black Travel. I chose the trip with Jet Black Travel because of the mid-December date that happened to fall right during AfroFuture, the Ghananian based African culture festival that is taking the diaspora by storm!

In 2019 Ghana’s Board of Tourism promoted “The Year of The Return” an initiative encouraging the African diaspora to visit West Africa 400 years after the brutal slave trade began. It seeks to create ties and new memories to a growing number of folks interested in exploring their African Heritage. That initiate continues with the program called “Beyond The Return.”

WHAT IS AFROFUTURE?

AfroFuture was originally founded in 2017 as Afrochella before they were forced to change the name due to threats of legal action by that festival with a similar name. The name AfroFuture happens to be a much better fit as it’s become a more dynamic, forward thinking, fresh and flavorful event than its 24 year old American ex-namesake.

AfroFuture is a music, arts and culture festival that celebrates the inspirational influences from the African Diaspora. The festival seeks to highlight and unite people under a banner of African and Black pride and educate on the intriguing contributions from the African continent and the culture it continues to spark beyond it’s beautiful shores.

A recent Forbes articles does a great job in explaining that “ the biggest advantage AfroFuture has over Coachella [ is its inclusivity factor].”

The lineup and new website are currently in the works but after 2022’s Nigerian GOAT BurnaBoy headlined I think it’s safe to say that 2023 is going to be LIT!

WHY VISIT WESTERN AFRICA IN DECEMBER?

December in parts of Ghana and Nigeria is affectionately known as Detty December. It’s festive period where African city hot spots like Lagos and Accra come alive with music, arts, culture, and entertainment, and thousands of people from across the Diaspora flock back to their ancestral homes. This can flights pretty expensive but it also means there is no shortage of concerts and events to explore.

I can’t WAIT to update this page with my actual experience after traveling to Ghana and Afrochella in December 2023.

Stay TUNED!!!