By Allison Joyner

Hi! I’m Efua Dzimafo!

It has been one month since I returned from my trip to Ghana, and I am still embracing the experience of being on the same land where my pre-enslaved ancestors once flourished.

My 10-day expedition was organized by The Global Intent (TGI), a group travel agency that creates cultural and immersive experiences for Black Millennials in other countries within the African Diaspora.

For over 10 years, TGI has visited destinations such as Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya, Barbados, and Tanzania before deciding to lead an exhibition in the West African country.

“I have a passion for exploring and seeing the world,” said Jada Davis, Founder and Chief Experience Officer for TGI. “For me, travel allows me access to a global classroom where I’m able to learn in real-time about various cultures, various foods, fashion, and architecture and also engage with the local people where you get firsthand accounts of what it means to live here, what their economy needs to thrive, how they see tourism, how they see Americans.”

One of the newest forms of traveling is voluntourism, described as volunteering while on vacation. 

Davis uses this to structure her trips and create volunteering through sustainable travel so that her clients can receive an enriching experience. 

Volunteerism was incorporated into this trip by continuing the country’s government initiative called the “Year of the Return.” In 2019, the initiative was a symbolic celebration of 400 years since the first enslaved Africans arrived in Hampton, Vir., by inviting their descendants – like me – to return to their ancestral home. 

Others have been on this pilgrimage of the African spirit, including President Barack Obama, Idris Elba, Steve Harvey, Naomi Campbell, T.I., and many other notable descendants curated by the Ghana Tourism Authority and Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

“My first time [in Ghana] was in 2018. I was so excited and impressed, and I’ve always wanted to come back,” Davis said. “The timing worked for it to be this year, and I have built relationships that I’ve sustained throughout the years with local tour operators, friends, and colleagues who have been able to make this trip what it was.”

I discovered a correlation between Ghana and the U.S. historically when we made our first stop at the W.E.B. Duboise Memorial Centre for Pan African Culture in Accra. It was there that I learned about how the former Atlanta University professor, who wrote “The Souls of Black Folk” during his tenure, lived there for a few years of his life when the country’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, invited him to come to the newly independent commonwealth in 1961. There, Dubois compiled the “Encyclopedia Africana” on the continent and Pan-Africanism. 

What was once his Ghanaian home, where he stayed for two years, is now the museum and the scholar’s final resting place.

Ghana’s capital city, Accra, is considered the “Commerce City of Africa.” We were based there for most of the trip, where we visited several museums, shopped at the arts and crafts market, and participated in a traditional African drumming and dance lesson. Davis curated an activity for us: going to the Ghana Investment Promotion Center, where we learned about investment opportunities in the country. 

Ghana is a significant exporter of gas and gold and offers real estate opportunities for anyone who lives outside the country. There, we discovered that African Americans are the country’s largest group of foreign investors intending to build generational wealth. 

One of the most emotional days of the trip was when we left Accra and drove to Cape Coast. There, we visited the Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle, where the enslaved were held captive before being loaded onto a ship to cross the Atlanta Ocean into bondage. 

“I think a lot of times Black Americans — we don’t have an identity,” Davis said. “We’re in an identity crisis. Many people are doing ancestry DNA testing and trying to find themselves, and I think this is the time in our culture right now when people want to know where they came from. They want to know who they are. They want to know why we do the things we do.”

Hundreds of emotions ran through my body as I toured these sites. The dungeon floors had decomposed human waste (blood, skin, feces, vomit, tears, etc.) that had been caked onto the floor and had been walked on for centuries. My heart was breaking with each step I took there as I was trying to accept – and still trying to accept today – that because of the millions of people who sacrificed their freedom resulted in me having the opportunity to be the person I am today. 

However, I felt uplifted the next day when we arrived at a village near Cape Coast and participated in their tribe’s traditional naming ceremony. Usually occurring eight days after birth, the naming ceremony symbolizes their ancestors returning home through their descendants and receiving a new name from the chief.

It was translated to us that the chief said our names were pre-selected from our ancestors and that they are at peace with us returning to their homeland. 

The chief blessed me with my new name, Efua Dzimafo, which means “female born on Friday and from the Redeemer.” Having that intimate moment with not just the villagers but also my enslaved relatives made me so proud to be a part of their culture, and it was a fantastic way to end our trip.

As I returned to Atlanta, I was enlightened by what I had experienced in Ghana. Every American—not just Black Americans— should have the chance to experience what I had.

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When the world lost musician and record, film, and television producer Quincy Jones earlier this month at the age of 91, the ones who loved and worked with him felt his absence immediately.

Jones died on Nov. 4 at his Southern California home surrounded by his family.

“Tonight, with full broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”

Born in Chicago in 1933, Jones began his career as a trumpet player, creating music with his friend Ray Charles. He received a scholarship to Berklee but dropped out when he began touring with jazz singer Billie Holiday. 

By the 70s, Jones became a top music producer, the first Black music director for the Academy Awards, and later received his first nomination for producing “The Color Purple.” His body of work continued in the studio with him producing Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall,” “Thriller,” and “Bad” albums. He later created his magazine “Vibe” in the 90s and introduced rapper Will Smith to his acting debut in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” 

Atlanta native Teddy Astin was a promotions executive at Warner Brothers Records for over 20 years and had fond memories of working with him. 

“There will never be another super producer like Quincy Jones,” Astin said. “There will never be a kinder gentleman you will ever meet in your life; you will never find another person who will be as kind and humble to the core. That’s just how he was.”

Others who worked with Jones, like jazz musician “Lil” John Roberts, reacted similarly to many of the people who worked with Jones in his 70-plus-year career. Roberts teaches percussion at the Berklee College of Music, where he and Jones studied. 

“Extraordinary is the first word that came up in my thoughts of Quincy,” Roberts said in an interview. “There were so many different styles of music that he dibbled and dabbled so he’s the complete musician. He’s the complete musician slash producer slash humanitarian and the ultimate definition of cool.” 

“He was a chameleon. He was the greatest definition of a chameleon, one who knew how to be in any situation and fit and find a way to get his ideas out of that situation and make it his own,” Roberts said.

Jones made history when he was in charge of producing “We Are the World” in 1985 to help support famine relief in Africa. Some of the biggest stars in music, like Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and many more, have lent their voices to a worthy cause. However, Jones made it clear that he was not going to take anyone’s attitude. 

“No other producer could have ever imagined getting all of those superstars in the studio so he made a sign on the door that said ‘check your ego at the door,’” Astin said. “He told them to ‘don’t come in with all that,’ and they understood.”

Astin mentions his time working with Jones in his new book “A Golden Past-And-A Platinum Future.” He worked with some of music’s stars in their early careers including Prince, Morris Day and the Time, Miles Davis, Kevin Campbell and Jones.

When Jones learned of Astin’s retirement from Warner Brothers in the early 1990s, he called him and thanked him for helping him launch his record label, Qwest Records. He then invited him and his wife to meet him at his home in Jamaica to show his appreciation. 

“That was an honor in itself,” Astin said. “It just goes to show that artists like Quincy Jones showed their appreciation.”

With Jones’s accomplishments in the entertainment industry, Roberts wants to preserve his legacy by teaching younger generations like his students. 

“I think every school should have a curriculum that just studies Quincy Jones and his discography, his body of work. I think it’s the reason for having some type of curriculum about his legacy,” Roberts said. “We talk about Elvis Presley – and folks like that – who took a lot of ideas from the Black community, so talk about what actually did something from the ground up and didn’t steal it from anybody else.”

Aside from being a musical genius, Astin wants people to remember him as a person who wanted everyone to be kind to each other. 

“His motto was love, laugh, live and give,” Astin said. “If everybody does that, they’ll always be okay.”

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Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will remain in office for another four years. Willis said that she is thankful to voters in Fulton County for trusting her to continue her work and will continue to seek justice for the community.

“Fulton County, thank you for trusting me with the honor of serving as your District Attorney and giving me four more years in this office,” Willis posted on X, formally Twitter.

Willis beat her opponent, Courtney Kramer, a former White House legal intern in the Donald Trump administration, by a 36 percent margin in Tuesday’s election.

While in office, she prosecuted the now president-elect for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Kramer decided to run against Willis earlier this year, saying that the investigation was politically motivated and a waste of resources.

Another high-profile case Willis prosecuted was against rapper Young Thug. The Young Slime Life (YSL) gang case recently closed after the rapper entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to some of the charges and no contest to others.  Both cases resulted in attacks against her personally and professionally, but she said her team was of great support.

Due to Trump’s 2024 win, the DA’s case is in limbo. As of now it is unclear how the case might proceed, if at all. It could possibly resume after he leaves office.

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Georgia’s first high school for African Americans celebrated its 100th anniversary on Tuesday with an assembly honoring the class of 2025. 

On Sept. 24, 1924, the school, named after the first president of Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), Booker T. Washington (BTW) High School, became the only public secondary school for Black students in Georgia. It remained so for over twenty years. 

The U.S. National Park Service has listed it on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Atlanta Public School celebrated this occasion with a centennial anniversary and honored the 12th graders graduating next year during a senior recognition ceremony. 

“We have the same building, same location, doing the same thing, educating Black excellence,” said Byron Amos, Atlanta City Councilmember for District 3.

Amos, who recently hosted “Booker T. Washington High School Day” at City Hall, said that he is a 1991 BTW grad, and his son — who graduated from the same school in 2022 — became the 20th member of his family to walk its halls. 

“We have a great team of educators and administrators and we’re here to make sure that this legacy does not go away,” said William Wade, principal of BTW. 

Wade said that this cohort of seniors will be the 97th graduating class at BTW and are delighted that they will soon be a part of this historic moment.

“The senior class is very excited because we were telling them that this day was coming since I met them when they were 10th graders and they get it, especially about the part that they will be a part of history forever as the class that graduated during its 100th year,” Wade said.

Some notable alumni include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., singer Lena Horne, comedians Bruce Bruce and Nipsey Russell, Georgia State Congresswoman for District 56 “Able” Mable Thomas, and Sophie Lillian Greene Carey, BTW’s oldest living graduate, at 105 years old. She graduated in 1938 and attended the celebration. 

Carey will have 179 others to join her as Washington grads in the spring, many of whom plan to enter college, military or technical school to begin their next chapter of their lives. 

At 105 years old, Sophie Greene Carey (center) is recognized as Booker T. Washington High School’s oldest living graduate. Pictured next to high school diploma. (Image provided by Allison Joyner).

Influenced by the Atlanta University Center, which is right down the street from BTW, Amos says that the high school can be considered as the Historically Black College and University of high schools.

“We’ve reached out to our constituents and our children to wrap our arms around them, one family, one destiny,” Amos said. “That’s one thing Washington High has always been about… We are that special place on the hill.”

Wade said that he wants Atlantans to come and take a closer look at the pathways the school has to offer to its students, including its college readiness, early college, fine arts, and career and technical education programs. 

“This is an excellent school and everything that embodies school is here,” Wade said. “We have our high days, we have our low days but we work hard to continue the legacy that is Booker T. Washington High School.” 

The centennial festivities will conclude with a gala on Sat. Sept. 28. Graduation will be on May 21, 2025. 

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The Atlanta Business League (ABL) kicked off the first phase of the renovation project of the Ashby Street Theater with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

ABL members, community leaders and neighbors gathered at its Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive office to celebrate the redevelopment of a neighborhood landmark almost 25 years in the making.

The 300-seat venue opened during the Jim Crow Era and was only one of the few first to serve Atlanta’s African American community. ABL officials said the theater will be renovated to become a key element in the West End area. 

“In the 1920s to 1940s, the Ashby Street Theater was originally established when segregation was prevalent and African Americans were often excluded from mainstream entertainment venues,” said Leona Barr-Davenport, President and CEO of the ABL. “As a result, theaters like Ashby Street became vital cultural hubs for Black communities, showcasing live performances and other forms of entertainment that cater to African Americans.”

Earlier this year, the National Park Service awarded $23.4 million to 39 historic projects in 16 states and the District of Columbia as part of the Historic Preservation Fund’s African American Civil Rights grant program.

The ABL received its second $750,000 grant from the program this year, totaling $1.5 million, supporting its ongoing efforts to preserve and promote African American history, culture, and civil rights heritage in Atlanta.

“We had the opportunity to really come together as a community and it only took about 25 years for us to get this moment,” Wilson said.

During his remarks, Wilson introduced the development team spearheading the project, saying it takes a lot of work to get to this imagination phase and, one day, have it be a destination on the U.S. Civil Rights Heritage Trail. 

“We are truly standing on the shoulders of some giants in this city that believe something very fundamental, that is something that I believe we all share that streets like this, where businesses like ours have been and where we have lived for a while, should be places that we can come to and experience all of that the city has to offer,” Wilson said. 

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the theater played a critical role in the Civil Rights Movement. It not only served as an entertainment venue but also as a gathering place for activists and community leaders like King, Joseph Lowery, and Ralph David Aberthany to plan upcoming rallies, marches and sit-ins. 

Davenport gave a short story of former ABL Chairman and foundering member of the Peachtree Providence Partners, Milton Jones, as a boy when he would have to take segregated “coloreds only” entrances at the Fox and Rialto Theaters, he made the decision to never go through those doors again. 

“Leona’s right,” Jones said. “I have some interesting memories of growing up in the city, but it’s more than just the memory of Ashby. It’s the memory of the Jason Milton drugstore. It’s the memory of the Huey Williams Realty up the street. It’s a memory of Busy Bee, which still exists today. It’s a memory of the whole of Pascal’s complex, which sets records in terms of activity.”

Wilson said that the Ashby Street Theater will once again be a space where stories are told, businesses flourish, and the community comes together to celebrate solidarity. He invited guests to help the ABL continue its journey as it works to create opportunities and foster growth within the area.

“We are going to build a business resource center, making sure that the information, the resources that people need daily, have a physical place to come,” Wilson said. “We’ll have a podcast studio and make sure that everything is about content to make sure that the information that’s being discussed here is going to be shared all over the world.” 

He added that the theater is more than just a building; it’s a symbol of the community’s rich cultural heritage, resilience and shared history where Atlantans can come together to honor the legacy that affirms the importance of preserving and celebrating its past while looking forward to a bright and vibrant future.

Wilson and Jones emphasized the importance of funding for the restoration project. 

“We need your money. We need your time, your talent and your treasury — especially your treasury,” Jones said. “Spread the word. Great things have started happening and will keep happening on the Heritage Trail on Martin Luther King Drive where all of us can be a part of it in large and small parts. Let’s spread the word and make it happen.”

The ABL has sponsorship opportunities for the Ashby Street Theater renovation project.

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