- Gabrielle Union recounts a spiritual and emotional visit to Ghana in 2022
- She visited historic slave trade sites, including the River of No Return
- Her mother collapsed during the visit but insisted on continuing
American actress and model Gabrielle Union has opened up about her deeply moving journey to Ghana in 2022, describing it as a powerful reconnection with her ancestral roots.
Speaking on Reclaiming with Monica, Union recalled a visit to the River of No Return—historically used during the transatlantic slave trade to clean and prepare enslaved Africans before they were shipped overseas. The experience, she said, was both physically and spiritually overwhelming, offering her a deeper understanding of the suffering and resilience of her ancestors.
“We were told that our ancestors were marched distances equivalent to walking from New York to Florida. Then they were washed in this river and greased to look healthy enough to fetch the highest price,” she recounted.
One harrowing moment occurred during the walk to the river, when Union’s mother, who is in her late 70s, collapsed. Gabrielle feared the worst as cameras captured the incident. But in the panic, she says she heard the comforting voice of her late grandmother reassuring her: “She’s all right.” Moments later, her mother revived and insisted on continuing: “Take me to the river.”
Union also described a striking, emotional moment involving her husband, former NBA star Dwyane Wade. She lost sight of him briefly, only to hear him cry out from within the river. “It was this hot, sunny day, and suddenly the sky just opened up and it started pouring. He was standing in the river with his arms outstretched, like Christ,” she said. “It was surreal. Everyone was in tears. It felt like a spiritual cleansing.”
Gabrielle Union and the Year of Return
Union’s trip was part of Ghana’s broader Year of Return and Beyond the Return campaigns, aimed at reconnecting the African diaspora with their heritage. Launched in 2018 by President Nana Akufo-Addo, the initiative commemorated 400 years since the first documented enslaved Africans arrived in the U.S.
Her visit, part of her My Journey to 50 documentary series, included stops at historically significant sites such as the Assin Manso River, the Memorial Wall of Return, and the Salaga Slave Market. She and Wade also participated in cultural events, including the enstoolment of Diallo Sumbry, a key figure in the Year of Return campaign, as a tourism ambassador.
Union described her trip as both a celebration of her 50th birthday and a transformative experience of healing, ancestral connection, and cultural rediscovery.
