Monrovia, Liberia– We’re coming home. The much anticipated inaugural Journey Home Festival will take place June 17 to 24, 2022–over Juneteenth–in the Republic of Liberia.
The reason this trip is so significant is that Liberia was the first African republic to proclaim its independence and is Africa's first and oldest modern republic. The founding of Liberia in the early 1800s was motivated by the domestic politics of slavery and race in the United States as well as by U.S. foreign policy interests. In 1816, a group of white Americans founded the American Colonization Society (ACS) to deal with the “problem” of the growing number of free blacks in the United States by resettling them in Africa. The resulting state of Liberia would become the second (after Haiti) Black republic in the world at that time.
"The amazing thing about this journey is that African Americans have a country that they can call home,” said Journey Home Festival co-creator, Den Tut Rayay.
And today, Journey Home Festival welcomes home Black Americans to experience this Western coast of Africa for an array of activities propelling business and showcasing culture. For instance, the June 2022 program includes an Agro-Commerce trade show and tourism-specific events such as Mamba Point Hotel, Blue Lake, and the National Museum.
"What better place to spend Juneteenth, the celebration of the freedom of slaves, then in Liberia, a country founded by Freed slaves,” said Amir James, Journey Home Festival co-creator.
For more information about the inaugural Journey Home Festival, visit https://www.journeyhomefestival.com/ or on Instagram at @journeyhomefestival. For more information for a story or a potential hosting please contact Publicist Tonya L. Moore at tonya.moore@tlmpr.com or (443) 925-9220.