Moving to Africa to Escape Racism

A black American family sells their home, quits their jobs, and moves to Ghana. They are fleeing systemic racism, they say. They arrive in Accra. They are greeted by black faces. They feel free for the first time. Then they discover that Ghanaians do not see them as African. They see them as American. The racism they fled does not exist in Ghana. The alienation they feel is worse.In this episode, I examine the phenomenon of black Americans relocating to African countries to escape racism. The movement is small but growing. Social media influencers document their journeys. They post videos of beaches, markets, and smiling faces. They do not post videos of the bureaucratic nightmare of obtaining residency. They do not post videos of being overcharged because merchants hear their accents. They do not post videos of the loneliness of being a foreigner in a country where they do not speak the language.The episode explores the disconnect between the fantasy of Africa and the reality of Africa. Africa is not a monolith. Africa is fifty-four countries with fifty-four cultures, fifty-four languages, and fifty-four sets of problems. The black American who moves to Africa to escape racism may find that the racism is gone. They may also find that the sense of belonging they were searching for is just as elusive as it was at home.Turn down the lights, put on your headphones, and press play because moving to Africa to escape racism is not a solution. It is a geography change. The problem is not where you live. The problem is where you are from.