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Birthright AFRICA, a nonprofit based in New York, is giving young Black Americans the opportunity to travel to Africa and connect to their ancestral roots for free, Black Enterprise reports.
The goal of Birthright AFRICA is to empower young Black people with knowledge about Africa that the American school system doesn’t provide. Diallo Shabazz, Birthright AFRICA co-founder that the information given around Black history just isn’t enough and these trips make it possible for young people to learn more.
“National Black History Month often focuses on the past, but this is about creating an infrastructure so that we can help people transform their futures. This isn’t about validating Black identity. It’s about providing an opportunity for people to explore their ancestry,” Shabazz told CNN.
There are other countries that have similar programs including Israel, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Armenia, Cuba, and Ireland. Birthright Israel began in 1994 and offers free 10-day heritage trips to Israel for young adults aged 18-32 to help them discover more about their Jewish identity. Since 1999, more than 600,000 young people have traveled to Israel, with most of them coming from the U.S. and Canada.
Birthright AFRICA is on a mission to take as many Black Americans of African descent back to Africa as possible. In order to qualify, participants must be between ages 13 and 30 and be of African descent. The trips are completely free and include flights, hotels, food and the cost of museums.
To learn more and register for a Birthright AFRICA application, visit birthrightafrica.org.
Photo Courtesy of Birthright Africa
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