The Truth About Black Americas in Ghana: Breaking Myths, Building Wealth, and Unifying Communities!

Summary

Podcast Summary: "The Truth About Black Americas in Ghana: Breaking Myths, Building Wealth, and Unifying Communities!"

Earn Your Leisure Podcast | Hosted by EYL Network | Released on March 2, 2025

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of Earn Your Leisure, hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings explore the intricate dynamics between Black Americans and Ghana. Titled "The Truth About Black Americas in Ghana: Breaking Myths, Building Wealth, and Unifying Communities!", the discussion delves into cultural assimilation, economic empowerment, and community unity. The hosts aim to dispel prevalent misconceptions, highlight success stories, and emphasize the importance of building bridges between African and African American communities.

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Challenging Misconceptions and Cultural Assimilation

The conversation kicks off with Speaker 1 addressing the skepticism faced by Black Americans who relocate to Ghana. He remarks,

"sometimes when we post stuff, the feedback that we get as Americans from people in America is like, why would you go over there like, you colonizing and like, they don't need you over there. And like, it's like a bad thing. Like we taking advantage of the situation"
(01:00)

Speaker 2 responds by attributing these negative perceptions to a "lack of information and lack of education" among the Black community. He emphasizes that this issue isn't isolated to African Americans alone:

"it's not only African Americans that come to Ghana. Like, you've been to the airport, you've seen an influx of Chinese, seen an influx of, you know, Caucasians and people from all over Europe."
(01:34)

The hosts discuss how Black Americans successfully assimilate into Ghanaian culture without imposing their own, fostering mutual respect and understanding. Speaker 1 highlights the seamless integration:

"they've assimilated inside the culture. They're not like trying to plant the American flag here."
(02:27)

Speaker 2 adds,

"if you go to a country, you learn the way of the people. And if, if it resonates with you, you can stay. Like, there's no, there's no one here trying to impose any cultural differences."
(02:43)

This mutual assimilation counters the narrative of cultural dominance and promotes a harmonious coexistence.

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Building Wealth: Entrepreneurship and Land Ownership

Transitioning to the topic of wealth, Speaker 1 inquires about the nature of wealth in Africa compared to America:

"there is wealth, right? I mean, you talking about before you came to America and you was like, no, that's not wealth."
(04:34)

Speaker 2 elaborates on the distinct forms of wealth in Ghana, emphasizing land ownership and generational entrepreneurship:

"the way wealth is in Africa is different. Like, you have people that are born into owning acres of land. Like, that's just from day one, as a baby."
(04:49)

He underscores the entrepreneurial spirit prevalent in regions like the Ashanti kingdom, where business acumen is passed down through generations:

"if you look at it, I went to school people from the Ashanti region, and naturally they're, you know, they're entrepreneurs."
(04:49)

Moreover, Speaker 2 highlights the success of female entrepreneurs in Ghana, challenging stereotypes about gender and business:

"we have a lot of really wealthy women as well."
(04:49)

He calls for increased dialogue and knowledge sharing to bridge gaps in understanding wealth creation across continents:

"if you don't know, you don't know. It's one of those things. And it's not a secret. You just got to ask the questions."
(05:44)

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Community Building and Job Creation

Troy introduces a significant achievement of their projects in Ghana—the creation of over a thousand jobs. He shares a personal anecdote about collaborating with former classmates:

"this is a thousand jobs for our community. Talk about Joseph the master engineer."
(05:44)

Speaker 2 elaborates on Joseph's pivotal role, highlighting his expertise and local roots:

"Joseph went to my high school. He literally is the master engineer on the project. And he's actually, before this project, he was the master engineer on other projects of repute in Ghana."
(06:13)

The emphasis on hiring local talent not only boosts the economy but also fosters community pride and ownership. Speaker 2 mentions the dedication of the workforce:

"Over a thousand jobs have been created from this. They'll probably create more jobs when we go into the next phase."
(06:13)

Additionally, the project aims to build lasting communities where workers can continue to thrive beyond the project's completion:

"more importantly, we also want to build a different community for all these guys because they still want to be around when it's all said and done."
(06:13)

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Unity and Future Prospects

The hosts conclude the episode by reiterating the importance of unity among Black communities globally. Speaker 2 stresses overcoming internal divisions to strengthen collective progress:

"the larger notion is to try and always just, you know, disqualify the connection between all black people."
(03:56)

They express optimism about future initiatives and the potential for further collaboration in building wealth and fostering community spirit.

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Notable Quotes

• Speaker 1: "We just felt a method. Africans don't want African Americans there. Because I feel like that's done to stop us from unifying."
  (03:49)

• Speaker 2: "if you go to a country, you learn the way of the people... you could stay... it's like, people just want to always find a problem."
  (02:43)

• Troy: "This is a thousand jobs for our community"
  (05:44)

• Speaker 2: "we have a lot of really wealthy women as well."
  (04:49)

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Key Takeaways

1. Dispelling Myths: Negative perceptions about Black Americans in Ghana largely stem from misinformation and lack of education. Positive integration and mutual respect challenge these misconceptions.

2. Cultural Assimilation: Successful cultural assimilation without imposing one's own culture fosters harmonious community relations and unity.

3. Wealth Creation: Wealth in Ghana is often rooted in land ownership and entrepreneurial ventures, with strong support for female entrepreneurs. Understanding these models can inspire similar initiatives elsewhere.

4. Job Creation and Community Building: Local hiring and community-focused projects not only stimulate the economy but also build lasting community bonds and pride.

5. Global Black Unity: Overcoming internal divisions is crucial for the collective advancement of Black communities worldwide.

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This episode of Earn Your Leisure offers a deep and insightful exploration into the experiences of Black Americans in Ghana, highlighting the potential for cultural exchange, economic empowerment, and unified community building. Through authentic conversations and real-life examples, Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings provide listeners with valuable perspectives on transcending myths and fostering meaningful connections.

Transcript

[Flight Attendant]

Ladies and gentlemen, we are now boarding. Group A, please have your boarding passes ready to scan. If your phone is cracked old or was chewed up by your Chihuahua travel companion, please refrain from holding up the line. Instead, go to Verizon and trade in any phone in any condition from one of their top brands. For the new Samsung Galaxy S25 plus with Galaxy AI and a watch and tab on any plan, only on Verizon with new line on my plan. Service plan required for watch and tab. Additional terms apply. See verizon.com for details. Ladies and gentlemen, we are now boarding. Group A, please have your boarding passes ready to scan. If your phone is cracked old or was chewed up by your Chihuahua travel companion, please refrain from holding up the line. Instead, go to Verizon and trade in any phone in any condition from one of their top brands. For the new Samsung Galaxy S25 plus with Galaxy AI and a watch and tab on any plan, only on Verizon with new line on my plan. Service plan required for watch and tab. Additional terms apply. See verizon.com for details.

[Speaker 1]

So you said something to me. You said something to me that was really insightful because, you know, sometimes when we post stuff, the feedback that we get as Americans from people in America is like, why would you go over there like, you colonizing and like, they don't need you over there. And like, it's like a bad thing. Like we taking advantage of the situation. And you said something that was exciteful. You was like, I'll let you say it. But you like, yo, people come from other countries all the time. And like, y'all come like, y'all. Y'all actually assimilate. Y'all don't exclude yourself. So I don't. Why would they say these things? I don't understand why they would say that.

[Speaker 2]

Yeah, I think it's just lack of information and lack of education between, you know, as usual, black people. It's not only African Americans that come to Ghana. Like, you've been to the airport, you've seen an influx of Chinese, seen an influx of, you know, Caucasians and people from all over Europe. So I think it's just the way we're programmed naturally to just not get along. It's just so any. It's easier to hate first. And it's like, hey, first, ask questions later, you know? So I just think that that's why this project is more important to me than real estate, because when people see us actually doing things together and in the spirit of brotherhood, it just makes it Makes them understand, like, a lot more could be done. Like, real estate is just the first step and just the fact that we were able to come together and do something of this magnitude in the first move. I mean, only I can't even imagine what we're going to be doing 10 years from now.

[Speaker 1]

Can you speak to, like, specifically black Americans? That. Because, like, I was telling him we met, like, at least five people from America, moved to Ghana, right? And they all like, it's vibes, like, they, they've assimilated inside the culture. They're not like trying to plant the American flag here, right?

[Speaker 2]

Like, I mean, at the end of the day, if you go to a country, you, you learn the way of the people. And if, if it resonates with you, you can stay. Like, there's no, there's no one here trying to impose any cultural differences. Everyone is just learning. Everyone is trying to understand each other. I mean, we're also not that much different. Like, you know, to be fair, like, it's not like you come to Ghana, you got to eat some weird stuff. It's not like you got. It's not like it's a blood oath that makes you, makes you African. It's just, you know, people just want to always find a problem. Like, there's things, like if the things I see in New York that I'm like, oh, okay. I could see how that could be, you know, related to stuff, stuff from Ghana, you know. So, like, I just think there's this lack of education and sometimes people just want to hate on everything.

[Speaker 1]

That's the thing too. Before you, like, because now people say, like, don't impose your culture. When you come out there, like, the coach is already here. Like, it's all interwoven.

[Speaker 2]

We all rap and we all dance. We all eat rice and peas. So it's the same thing.

[Speaker 1]

We just felt a method. Africans don't want African Americans there. Because I feel like that's done to stop us from unifying.

[Speaker 2]

I mean, I really hate Rashad and Troy. That's why we're in Ghana. Like, I hate them so much that we, we, we building something together. Like, I spice them. It doesn't make any sense. Like, I just think that the larger notion is to try and always just, you know, you know, disqualify the connection between all black people. That's just, that's what it is. And so obviously you have the few people that don't really contribute to anything that talks so much. And then it becomes like, it's not even Trendy, to be honest. Like, those who are really at the top collaborating, are collaborating, you know, so let's just keep it. Keep it a buck.

[Speaker 1]

That's a fact. And then before, can you talk about wealth in Africa? Because we. We started the program with some unfortunate situations, but there is wealth, right? I mean, you talking about before, like, you came to America and you was like, no, that's not wealth. Like, you know, I mean, like, talk about, like, people like that owning beaches.

[Speaker 2]

And owning, like, the way wealth is, Is. Is in Africa is different. Like, you. You have people that are born into owning acres of land. Like, that's just from day one, as a baby, like, you know, they just bought into owning, you know, like, all kinds of things. And, you know, if you look at it, you know, I went to school people from the Ashanti region, and naturally they're, you know, they're entrepreneurs. Like, that's. That's the thing from the Ashanti kingdom. Like, they pass down well from generation to generation. We have. In Ghana, we have a lot of really wealthy women as well. Like, so even come to America, like, learning how, you know, female entrepreneurs were perceived over there was a little confusing for me because where I came from, a lot of really wealthy women, you know, So I just think that there has to be more dialogue, really. Like, at the end of the day, it's like, if you don't know, you don't know. Right? It's one of those things. And it's not a secret. You just got to ask the questions.

[Troy]

Yeah, I got one thing, because when we walked on the land the other day, we were standing next to each other, kind of had a moment where it was like, this is pretty surreal. But what was really impressive was about who was building it, right? You said, yo, Troy, this is a thousand jobs for our community. Talk about that. Talk about Joseph the master engineer. Because people need to hear these stories because they'll look at and say, oh, we bought somebody else in to do this. But no, I mean, somebody you went to high school with.

[Speaker 2]

Yeah, Joseph went to my high school. He was a couple years behind me. And he literally is the. The master engineer on the project. And he's actually, before this project, he actually was the master engineer on other projects of repute in Ghana. Like, he was part of a major stadium development in Ghana. So when we met Joseph and we were like, oh, you went to a high school? It just. It just. He was even, like, more. It just felt better, right? And then on top of that, like, the way he just mobilizes the men is amazing. We created more than a thousand jobs and and everyone has bought into the vision of it. So some of them don't even want to go home, you know, like a Christmas. We were like, you guys know, it's cool, can go home to your families. They were like, nah man. We, we have, we have a deadline and they want to stay. Over a thousand jobs have been created from this. We'll probably create more jobs when when we go into the next phase, which is more houses. But more importantly, we also want to build a different community for all these guys because they still want to be around when it's all said and done. So they could also be part of the community for sure.

[Flight Attendant]

Ladies and gentlemen, we are now boarding Group A, Please have your boarding passes ready to scan. If your phone is cracked old or was chewed up by your Chihuahua travel companion, please refrain from holding up the line. Instead, go to Verizon and trade in any phone in any condition from one of their top brands. For the new Samsung Galaxy S25 plus with Galaxy AI and a watch and tab on any plan only on Verizon with new line on my plan. Service plan required for watch and tab. Additional terms apply. See verizon.com for details.

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