This week a video went viral from a Black American content creator living in Uganda, Oshay Duke Jackson calling out scams, the return to Africa invitations, and what he says is “Pan-scam-inism” (see link below). It pushed me to finally talk about what I’ve been seeing ever since Ghana kicked off its year of return campaign (which I also reported on afterwards in a feature story published on SKIFT)— governments chasing investment and tapping into heritage for it, but also the Black Americans drawn in searching for belonging, peace, and business opportunities.

My video is NOT about sides or about us vs. them (which the other video also covers)—it’s about the issues of honest communication and accountability., and what Black Americans considering a return to Africa campaign should know. It's a conversation that’s way overdue.

The influencer’s video: https://www.youtube.com/live/_....VluPGnsb3k?si=IzAKbt
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New? Hi 👋🏽 I'm Lily - Award-winning travel journalist based in the US helping you plan your trips consciously through cultural immersion, honest insights on travel/tourism, and responsible storytelling. https://www.tourismlens.com
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In this video:
00:00 – Intro
0:18 – The Viral “Pan-Scam-inism” Video and Why It Hit a Nerve
0:41 – The Reality Behind Return-to-Africa Campaigns
1:22 – When Idealism Meets Reality: Scams, Systems, and Culture Shock
2:31 – Vulnerabilities as Americans; Context, Class, and Complexity
3:30 – Survivalism, Corruption, and the Privilege Gap
4:14 – The Western Savior Trap
5:00 – How to Relocate Consciously
6:13 – The Hard Truth About Belonging and Accountability

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This video is for informational and journalistic purposes only. Viewers are responsible for planning, researching and making their own travel decisions.