Keta: Family of eight Afro-Americans named on heritage trip

A family of eight African-Americans from Mississippi in USA, who traced their root back to the West Coast of Africa, has visited Keta and undergone a naming ceremony to be accepted into their ancestral community and shared experiences.

The trip, which was led by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), started on Monday, January 1, by visiting some historical monuments in Ghana, including the Elmina Castle, Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, and National Museumand and was climaxed at Keta.

Mr Courge Selorm Danku, one of the team leads from GTA, explained that the trip was a heritage one for them to reconnect with their original motherland and experience what their great grandparents went through before being taken to the diaspora.

The naming ceremony, which was done by Togbi James-Ocloo V, the Dufia of Keta in his Palace, was to adopt them into the James-Ocloo Royal family of Keta.

Isaac Hannah was named; Tsali James-Ocloo, Flora Harman Hannah was named Teshie James-Ocloo, while Reginald Vareck Jefferson named; Akorli,
Vanelle Hannah Jefferson named; Kokui, Hart Isaac Jefferson was named Fui, Brooklyn Jefferson was named Dzoe, and Reginald Elijah Jefferson was named Tsidi James-Ocloo.

Togbi James-Ocloo further explained that the names were derived from the ‘Bate Clan’ names of the Anlo tribe and were chosen based on their birth and gender.

During the naming event, wrist beads were spotted on them, with whitish marks on their arms and a certificate awarded to them.

Brooklyn Jefferson Dzoe after her naming, said the move was not just a trip but a memorable experience, ‘which would be very important in my life journey, to us, this is now home, it is beautiful to be here.’

After the naming ceremony, the team visited Fort Prinzenstein which was built by the Danes in 1784 and was used as a slave fort during the slave trade in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Reginald Vareck Jefferson also told the Ghana News Agency how important the trip was, adding ‘actually, this is very important for me and my family by bringing them down to
where our forefathers come from. It was a point of no return but to us today, it’s a point of return,’

Vannelle Hannah Jefferson Kokui also shared with the GNA how spiritual the trip was to him.

‘We feel very spiritual and emotional coming to have this experience. We are now part of the family and the clan, we promise to keep visiting home regularly and share resources.’

The short ceremony which was full of beautiful cultural performances from the Emancipation Cultural Troupe, had dignitaries present including Mr Akorli James-Ocloo, the tour guide at Fort Prinzenstein, Dumega Atakpah, staff from the GTA, and Agbotadua Kummassah, a historian who used the opportunity to educate the family on some highlights of the slave trade and Anlo-Ewe ancestral history.

Source: Ghana News Agency