Africa contributes to the population of people in this drift. The point being made here is that, since the dawn of time, human beings have always engaged in migration under different underlying drives: voluntary, forced, and manipulated.

And whatever the reason may be for human drift, and whatever number of times people move, their roots are always there, entrenched.

However, people who have moved away from their roots, are moving away from their roots, or plan to do so often tend to sever complete ties with their roots eternally.

I don’t know why! But it is sad to note that many of us seem to forget that cultural roots are the foundation of our uniqueness.

This is why it is heartwarming to highlight an exception in no mean a personality as Senator Myron D Jackson of the Virgin Islands. Senator Jackson defied odds in the year 1982 when he first visited Africa, specifically,

Ghana, on a mission he called “The Spiritual Journey in Search of Identity”; on the wake day of his late father, he put a coconut pin in the pocket of the mortal remains of his father and asked him to bring him to his motherland. Indeed, I am convinced that, truly, the quest to know his identity is an affirmation of the truth espoused by Baba Marcus Garvey’s quote: “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”. Indeed Senator Jackson on arrival in Ghana dared further inland to a small town in the Upper West Region of Ghana, a good fifteen-hour drive from Accra; Tumu, the nib of his roots. He has ever since given massive support to his people.
The Launch of the Year of Return, which is a Government of Ghana initiative aimed at commemorating the several centuries that have passed since the enslavement of Black people in the Americas. This initiative sought to encourage Africans living in the diaspora to come back home to Africa (specifically Ghana) to settle and invest in the continent. Senator Jackson did leverage on this opportunity to come back home and reunite with the Kanton clan, in his Ancestral home, Tumu.
He proclaimed thusly in his own words: ‘’I had the opportunity to share with the Sissala People of North Ghana, my journey and the historic relationships between Ghana and the Virgin Islands”. Sitting from a distance, on the 9th day of January 2020, this was the first time I saw and heard Senator Myron D Jackson. He had come to pay a courtesy call to the Chief and people of Gwollu, an ancient town that shares several ties with Tumu. It may also be important to note that, Gwollu is a place of monumental historical significance as the remnants of the anti – slave defense walls are located in the town. The humility he carried himself in, clad in his beautifully woven Ghanaian smock made him look like a Chief…. He is a chief anyway.
I saw that burning zeal at how curious he was to learn about the culture and history of his people: About how the Gwollu anti-slavery defense walls were a bulwark against notorious slave raider like Samori Toure and Babatu. The aura around him touched me to dig further to see who really Senator Myron D. Jackson is and why is he so concerned about everything cultural. My research is the outcome of this write-up I have put up to show the world, especially Africans in the diaspora, that they may find inspiration in the efforts of Senator Myron D. Jackson and make attempts to find their roots.
As I round up, I’ll like to reiterate that not only has the life and successes of Senator Myron D. Jackson touched the many youths in our dispensation, who have made him a model worthy of emulation, he has also been very instrumental in canvassing support from Cantons in the Virgin Islands to augment his personal efforts in solving many developmental challenges that face his ancient home. He has contributed especially towards bettering the educational welfare of deprived schools and pupils. He believes strongly that it is only through education that people can break away from poverty and be better versions of themselves for the betterment of their country and the world at large. Senator Myron D. Jackson sets the pace as in the diaspora has through his ingenuity, many young people get to realize their dreams, hopes and aspirations through the solid investment he has brought to his people. As a role model, he has made his services available to mentor young people harness their potentials for the better. A legend who’s exploits in ‘’Finding His Roots’’ has yielded results in community development.
Written By;
Mulumba Ngmenlabagna Songsore
Upper West Public Relations Officer for Centre for National Culture/Nadowli-Kaleo District Director
Songsore.mulumba@yahoo.com