Ghana's diaspora returnees welcome UN resolution on slave trade

A growing number of people from the African diaspora are returning to Ghana to reconnect with their ancestral roots, and several people are celebrating a landmark United Nations resolution as a significant step toward justice and healing.

On March 25, 2026, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, spearheaded by Ghana, declaring the transatlantic slave trade and the racialized chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity. 

The resolution passed with 123 votes in favor, three against (including the United States and Israel), and 52 abstentions. It highlights the trade's unprecedented scale, brutality, and enduring legacies of racism and inequality, while urging reparatory justice.

Returnees in Accra say the declaration validates long-standing calls for recognition and reparations, even if the non-binding resolution stops short of mandating concrete actions. 

One such returnee is Vanessa Gyan, who was born in New York, United States, and moved to Ghana about 13 years ago. A media professional who studied television and radio communications, Gyan arrived with a clear plan and the confidence to build a new life.

"I was already working in media in New York," she said. "So I knew I was coming with a plan, and I was ten toes strong that I could make it here. But I knew that if it didn't happen, I could always go back, right?"

Since relocating, Gyan has never looked back. She has traced her ancestry, immersed herself in Ghanaian culture, and built a successful career as a media personality and philanthropist. 

Life in the United States came with its challenges, including experiences of racism. "There have been moments when I faced racism in New York; when I worked in retail," Gyan said.

She attributes much of the racial discrimination faced by people of African descent in the West to the lasting ripple effects of the transatlantic slave trade, which forcibly displaced millions of Africans over about 400 years.

Gyan views the UN resolution as a bold acknowledgment that could advance healing. When asked what more she would like to see beyond the declaration, she pointed to the need for compensation, while cautioning that it alone would not resolve deep-seated issues.

"I do feel like compensation is needed. But that won't be the end of it to solve the issue at hand," she said. "And when it comes to the healing process, everyone is healing at their own time. So no one should anticipate that with the compensation received, that's going to make someone say okay I've forgiven you. It's going to take time."

Gyan now considers Ghana home. She stresses that conversations around reparative justice must continue, ensuring that both those on the continent and in the diaspora have their voices heard in the pursuit of genuine reconciliation.

Her story reflects a broader trend of diaspora returnees drawn to Ghana, building on initiatives like the 2019 Year of Return. Many cite cultural reconnection, economic opportunities, and escape from systemic racism abroad as motivations for making the move. 

As global discussions on historical injustices intensify, returnees like Vanessa Gyan embody a personal dimension to the call for justice, one rooted in lived experience, resilience, and hope for a more equitable future.