MY GHANA EXPERIENCE: THE YEAR OF RETURN – CHEF SHAQUAY !
I am Shaquay, a mid-thirty-something-year-old Chef from Queens/Brooklyn NYC. I have been to about 20 countries and counting; however, my recent trip to Ghana stands above them all for a variety of reasons. Being African American, my familial lineage goes back generations to North & South Carolina. I have always wondered where my ancestors come beyond, even though I had some clues to direct me in the right direction. Through a hunch from American history, I figured I am majority West African from Slavery, British, and some other form of European (slave masters) and Native American. Two years ago, on a Cyber Monday deal, I purchased a 23andme.com DNA kit excited to get my answers. It turns out; I was right with my guesses- with me being 74% West African. Out of that, 74%- 27% is from the region that is now Ghana.
With this new knowledge, I had a yearning to take a trip to the continent. Specifically stopping first, where my ancestors are from. The majority of my travels up to this point were in Europe and Asia, and for me, what better time than now to explore the continent of Africa. Then when the announcement for “The Year of Return” came, I knew I had to partake and go “home.” With two long international trips already planned for 2019, I struggled with making a definitive decision of if/when I should go because of the financial burden and my work schedule. Discussing this idea with my friend Cherae- the founder of Tastemakers Africa, quickly steered me into going. “Just book your flight and come!!!” was what she repeatedly said to me. We decided the best time for me to go was after Christmas through the first week of January. It was great timing because I could experience the finale of “The Year of the Return,” bring in my birthday (12/30) & New Year and have time to explore the city without all of the tourists. It was a unique feeling to arrive at the airport and looking at all of the people- who are black like me. To be in a space where I do not stand out and where I am not different because I am black was such a nice experience. To the customs agent welcoming me “home” and all of the beautiful people living their lives was something, I have never experienced any place.
During the day, my days in Accra were filled with tours and sightseeing, and parties at night. I booked most of my tours through Tastemakers Africa. That included a city tour of Accra, giving us the history of Ghana. I also took a fantastic market tour of Makola Market. Talk about sensory overload- it was organized chaos of thousands of people buying and selling everything from fish to furniture. Walking through was a joy to witness. The music was playing, vendors dancing in front of their goods, and everyone with smiles on their faces.
My most vivid memories of Ghana are a tie between 2 things. On NYE, I attended a beach dinner put on by Tastemakers Africa. Right before midnight, we had the ancient shamans- gatekeepers of Ghana bless us on the beach as the clock hit midnight. To hear their chants while hearing fireworks go off in the background was an emotional experience. My other vivid memory was the Elmina Castle tour. This was the last place our ancestors lived before being shipped off to the Americas (if they made the trip). To hear what they went through and to step foot in slave chambers was heavy.
The entire experience was beautiful. I went with no expectations and lived in the moment. For being a place I have been before- it felt so familiar. Maybe it was the welcoming and sweet people, or perhaps deep down, I knew I was home. Whatever the feeling was- I am going back to get it again.
