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Across the Caribbean, pride in African heritage is becoming stronger. People are showing it through food, clothing, music, and travel. At the same time, leaders in Africa and the Caribbean are creating new trade and cultural links.
Some Caribbean leaders are even suggesting a shared digital currency with Africa, to strengthen ties and affirm a shared identity.
Dorbrene O’Marde of Antigua and Barbuda’s Reparations Support Commission says this new phase of pan-Africanism is broader and more lasting than in the past. Earlier waves in the 1930s and 1960s focused on culture and identity, but today’s movement also looks at economics, transport, and trade.
Social media and music are helping fuel this change. Jamaican lecturer Dennis Howard says platforms like TikTok and the rise of Afrobeats are reshaping views of Africa. Instead of old stereotypes of poverty, young people now see modern cities and similarities to the Caribbean. He argues that Jamaican culture itself is deeply African at its roots.
More Caribbean people are visiting Africa. Ghana has reported a rise in tourists from the islands, and South Africa’s consul to the Bahamas says more locals are heading to safaris in South Africa, Ghana, and Kenya. Even Burkina Faso has seen interest, due to its political stance on pan-Africanism.
Still, travel is difficult because most flights must go through Europe. Leaders like Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley are calling for direct “air and sea bridges.” Meanwhile, banks and institutions are pushing trade deals that could more than double business between Africa and the Caribbean by 2028.
In St Lucia, Dr Augustine Ogbo, a Nigerian medic and entrepreneur, is promoting African food like egusi, fufu, and jollof as part of this cultural exchange. He hopes to open a restaurant and sees his efforts as part of the wider movement.
Source: BBC.
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